4 Strategy: Looking at Different Types of Reading Materials

A magazine is a collection of articles and images about diverse topics of popular interest and current events. Usually these articles are written by journalists or scholars.

-to find information or opinions about popular culture

-to find up-to-date information about current events.

National Geographic

Ebony

Sports Illustrated

People

A journal is a collection of articles usually written by scholars in an academic or professional field. An editorial board reviews articles.

-when doing scholarly research

-to find out what has been studied on your topic

Journal of Communication

The Historian

Journal of the American Medical Association

A database contains citations of articles in magazines, journals, and newspapers. They may also contain citations to podcasts, blogs, videos, and other media types.

-to find articles on your topic in magazines, journals or newspapers

Academic Search Complete (a general database)

Compendex (an engineering database)

A newspaper is a collection of articles about current events usually published daily. Since there is at least one in every city, it is a great source for local information.

-to find current information about international, national and local events

Roanoke Times

New York Times

Suddeutsche Zeitung

Books cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction. Books might synthesize all the information on one topic to support a particular argument or thesis.

-to find lots of information on a topic

-to find historical information

Nash, Gary B. ed. The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society,1990.