PSYC 1101 - Lewis (Paulding) - Fall 2025

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Books

• Cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction 
• Useful for the complete background on an issue or an in-depth analysis of a theory or person
• Can take years to publish, so may not always include the most current information
• Examples: The Politics of Gun Control, To Kill a Mockingbird, Hemingway and Faulkner in their Time

Reference Books

• Include facts, figures, addresses, statistics, definitions, dates, etc.
• Useful for finding factual or statistical information or for a brief overview of a particular topic.
• Examples: dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories

Magazines

• Include articles on diverse topics of popular interest and current events
• Articles typically written by journalists or professional writers
• Geared toward the general public
• Examples: Time, Newsweek, National Geographic

Academic Journals (Peer-reviewed or scholarly journals)

• Include articles written by and for specialists/experts in a particular field
• Articles must go through a peer review process before they're accepted for publication
• Articles tend to have a narrower focus and more analysis of the topic than those in other types of publications
• Include cited references or footnotes at the end of research articles
• Examples: Journal of Communication, The Historian, Journal of the American Medical Association

Trade Publications

• Written for a specific industry or trade, contains information specifically for that trade
• Often looks more like a magazine
• Contains ads for products related to the industry
• Examples: Advertising Age, Mathematics Teacher

Newspapers (News sources)

• Provides very current information about events, people, or places at the time they are published
• Useful for information on current events or to track the development of a story as it unfolds
• Examples: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN.com