The library has many different types of sources that may emerge in a search. Here's a brief overview of some of the most common source types:
Books - books are excellent resources because they can dive deeply into a topic. The library has physical books on the shelves that you can check out or e-books that you can download or read online. You can access e-books by clicking "Electronic Resource Click Here" at the bottom-left of the book's landing page. Example: Madness and the Romantic Poet by James Whitehead.
Academic Journals - these contain articles written by scholars, scientists or researchers and published within topical publications. Some contain original findings (e.g., an original experiment) and others are reviews of what other scholars have said on a topic. Example: "How we get a grip: Microstructural neural correlates of manual grip strength in children" by Olivia Surgent et al. from the journal NeuroImage
Reference Materials - these are resources that provide definitions, overviews, and background information, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias. Reference materials are a great place to start your research. Example: The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture.
Magazines - periodicals covering special interest topics that are written for the general public; magazines are generally more accessible and less academic than scholarly articles. Reading a magazine article on your topic is a great way to get an overview before getting into the weeds. Example: National Geographic
Newspapers - regular publications that highlight current events. Reading newspaper articles can give you a great overview of a topic and can highlight opposing opinions on a topic. Example: The Guardian (London, England)
Trade publications - regular publications that speak to aspects of a certain trade or profession and are generally written by practitioners in the field. Example: Auto Body Repair Network
Book reviews - articles often published in academic journals that review books published by others. These are often short, single-page articles discussing the strengths and weaknesses of new publications. While it's generally best to avoid quoting or citing book reviews in your paper, they are great for getting a sense of if a source would be a good addition to your research. Example: "Blanch Verlie (2021) Learning to Live with Climate Change: From Anxiety to Transformation"
Primary Sources - primary sources are first-hand, contemporary, evidence or records, such as original records, artwork, data, writing, or research. You can read more about identifying and finding primary sources in our guide Advanced Primary Source Search Strategies. Example: Edison Collection of American Sheet Music
Videos - documentaries, films, and recorded conferences can often be excellent sources, depending on your field. The library has several film collections, including the Films on Demand online database, which has videos from HBO, PBS, Ken Burns, and others. Example: AI Art by NewsHour Productions.
You can refine your search results by source by using the filter "source type."
Peer-reviewed materials have been reviewed by experts in a specific subject area to ensure that they meet standards for quality and rigor within a discipline. In some disciplines, this means the materials are accurate, the scholarship is sound, and the research adds to the body of knowledge within the field. In other disciplines, materials might be evaluated according to skillful use of theory or technique.
In academia, peer-reviewed materials are the gold standard among information sources. The review process entails time and evaluation by many informed minds, and the final material benefits from this scrutiny and reconsideration. The hope is that, though this process, error and bias will be weeded out.
Explore the links below to see some examples of peer-reviewed materials from CMU faculty in different disciplines.
A research article co-authored by CMU Biology professor Dr. Johanna Varner and CMU alumnus Brooklyn D. Waterhouse "Activity patterns and foraging behavior of American pikas (Ochotona princeps) differ between Craters of the Moon and alpine talus in Idaho," published in Western North American Naturalist
An article written by CMU History professor Dr. Adam Rosenbaum "Leisure Travel and Real Existing Socialism," published in Journal of Tourism History
An article written by CMU Forensic Anthropology professor Dr. Melissa Connor "Ethics and Best Practices of Human Decomposition Facilities in the United States," published in Forensic Science Policy & Management: An International Journal
A chapter "Revitalizing the Cherokee Syllabary" in the book The Routledge Handbook of Language Revitalization by English professor Dr. Brad Montgomery-Anderson
A Painting by CMU Art Professor Eric Elliott in a juried (peer-review by a jury of artists) art show "Painting and Seeing"
Original research published in a peer-reviewed journal will be considered peer reviewed. To see if a journal is peer reviewed:
For a more in-depth breakdown of the parts of a scholarly article, take a look at this interactive guide made by North Carolina State University.
A handy but underused way of quickly scanning an article (or a website or another kind of file) is the "Find" function. "Control+F" (or "Command+F" on a Mac) is the keyboard shortcut for the Find command. If you're in a document or in a web browser, pressing the Ctrl key + the F key will bring up a search box in the top right corner of the screen. You can then type in a keyword or phrase to find places where that word or phrase is used in the text, often helpful for locating relevant sections.