Scholarly journals will have articles detailing original research that you may use for this assignment. Magazines and newspaper articles will have articles summarizing research (which you can use for this assignment) BUT they may also have advice columns/opinion pieces/editorials (that are not clearly marked and you should not be using).
Follow the steps included in the boxes on this page to confirm that the article you are about to choose is correct for this assignment - an scholarly or news article NOT advice/opinion!
See if the database you are searching lists a "DOCUMENT TYPE" in its descriptive record of the academic journal/newspaper/magazine article.
PROQUEST EXAMPLE:
EXAMPLE 2, 2nd Psychology Today Article:
EBSCO EXAMPLE:
Notice in some cases the descriptive info is more helpful than others. In either case DO NOT go by this only, databases can make mistakes do your own analysis as well! To help you with that see the boxes on the right side of this page.
News articles about the science of developmental psychology would be:
objective and based on fact,something proven; the author's purpose is to inform; may cite original research done in an academic journal
Advice columns (blogs, editorials or opinion pieces) relating to a topic of developmental psychology would be:
an opinion, a judgment or belief that can't be proved; often a mix of fact and opinion; the author's purpose is to persuade or entertain; often use biased words (best, amazing, horrible, etc) and words that qualify an idea (always, never, probably, etc.); may be written in a more casual tone
Keep these criteria in mind as you try to figure out just what you are reading:
| FACT | ADVICE/OPINION |
| Objective | Subjective |
| Discovered (evidence, scientific method) | Created (p.o.v. based on blend of facts and opinion) |
| States reality | Interprets reality |
| Can be verified | Cannot be verified |
| Presented with unbiased words | Presented with biased words |
|
Example: Erik Erickson came up with 8 stages of psychosocial development |
Example: Erik Erickson's parents must have been mean. |
Adapted from IRSC.edu Writing Lab 2009
Still not sure? Here are several different types of articles all written on the same topic, so you can see the different types...
Two of these would be acceptable to use in an assignment with the same criteria as yours - do you know which two?