Critical reading: Distinguishing academic from non-academic texts

In the blog this week, we are going to explore the final actions required in the planning process prior to engaging in the initial steps of critical reading. First, this blog attempts to clarify the contrast between academic and non-academic sources. After this, we will identify where key information is positioned in primary and secondary academic articles.

Contrast between Academic and Non-academic Sources

Being able to distinguish between academic and non-academic sources can be quite a challenge for students when they initially arrive at centres of higher education. Moreover, this can be more confusing dependent on the faculty department focus. For example, in faculties of literature, assigned readings necessarily include novels not written by academics. Then, the critical evaluation of such novels are provided by both academic and non-academic commentators. The same applies to other disciplines such as religious studies, classics, and social anthropology. It should also be stressed that a range of non-academic sources such as newspapers, journals, and online comments can be invaluable in helping to obtain some more accessible initial background to unfamiliar issues.

Some of the basic distinctions between academic and non-academic sources are listed below. However, it is important to note that this just provides a basic introduction and further details will need to be researched.

Academic Sources	Non-Academic Sources
Articles or books written by scholars who are experts in a specific academic discipline.	Articles or books written by professional authors such as journalists who are not typically regarded experts in the field.
Sources of information are always included in the form of in-text citations, a list of referenced texts, or a bibliography.	Sources of information are often not included other than the name of the writer that is for purpose of marketing.
Texts report research results using academic conventions and are aimed at a scholarly or educated audience.	Texts report events or opinions and are aimed at a more general audience.
The information is published by professional organisations or universities to share research findings.	Texts are generally published for profit intended as a vehicle for the expression of opinions on political, social, economic, or ethnic issues.
Authors are always named and generally their institutional affiliation is provided.	Authors may be anonymous.
Prior to publication, articles are peer-reviewed in journals such as Journal of Educational Psychology.	Articles are not peer reviewed and appear in popular magazines such as Time or The Economist.

Note. Adapted from ‘Scholarly vs. Non-Scholarly’, by St. Charles Community College, 2019, https://libguides.stchas.edu/evaluation

Where is key information located in an academic journal article?

At this stage, it is important to explore the common organisation and location of key information in academic texts. Moreover, it is also essential to stress that, at least at the outset, such texts are typically not read from ‘cover to cover’ like short informal sources.

The first example highlights the common organisation and location of key information in primary research articles that aim to present original researched data collected by the author(s). Then, the second focuses on secondary research texts that are based around a review of the literature related to the issue under investigation.

Primary research texts

Abstract	Tense
The research problem/issue	Present
The method and materials	Past simple
The primary result	Past simple
The main conclusion	Present + Cautious language
Introduction The introduction moves from general statements to the specific thesis position.	Tense
The problem	Past simple
The purpose	Present
The background literature	The author(s) can be introduced in past simple; Continue in present if the arguments and evidence are still valid; Continue in past simple if the arguments are no longer valid.
The narrowed-down focus	Present
The methods	Past simple
The importance of the research	Present
The main line of argument	Present
Materials & Methods	Tense
How the author(s) collect the data to solve the problem	Past
Results	Tense
What the author(s) discovered	Past
Analysis & Discussion	Tense
How the results could be interpreted in relation to the research hypothesis and previous research on the subject	Present + Cautious language
Conclusion This begins by reminding the reader of specific information, such as the thesis position, to progressively broader issues, and then ending with speculation about further research required.	Tense
Referring to subject, aim, purpose, and thesis	Past simple
Restating the one main finding that supports the thesis	Past simple
Evaluating the main finding and evidence that supports the thesis	Present
Considering the importance of the main finding	Present + Cautious language
Limitations of the research	Past simple
Speculation about future research required	Future

Note that in a primary research text the background literature review is typically placed in the introduction.

Secondary research texts

Abstract	Tense
The purpose and subject	Present
The research theory	Past simple
The one main finding	Past simple
The conclusion	Present + cautious language
The Introduction The introduction moves from general statements to the specific thesis position.	Tense
Subject, purpose and importance	Present
Definition of the subject	Present
Background to the subject	Past simple
General statements about the subject and theory	Present perfect
Problems and challenges	Present
Report outline	Present
Thesis statement	Present
The Literature Review This represents the research element that is often organised in a chronological order.	Tense
The initial research on the subject The background The main counterarguments to the thesis position The arguments and evidence that address the counterarguments The arguments and evidence that directly support and develop the thesis position	The author(s) can be introduced in past simple; Continue in present if the arguments and evidence are still valid; Continue in past simple if the arguments are no longer valid.
Findings	Tense
A selection of the key findings in the literature review often presented in the logical order of least to most important	Past simple
Discussion	Tense
An analysis, evaluation, and new synthesis of the findings	Present + cautious language
Conclusion This begins by reminding the reader of specific information, such as the thesis position, to progressively broader issues, and then ending with speculation about further research required.	Tense
Referring to subject, aim, purpose, and thesis	Past simple
Restating the one main finding that supports the thesis	Past simple
Evaluating the main finding and evidence that supports the thesis	Present
Considering the importance of the main finding	Present + cautious language
Limitations of the research	Past simple
Speculation about future research required	Future

Of course, there are various types of academic literature such as textbooks, single issue subjects written by experts, and an endless range of original documents. However, this is probably a good point at which to remind ourselves that focus of our blogs is to simply to introduce topics of interest that then need considerable further research.

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Question 1

Is the use of non-academic sources ever appropriate and helpful when addressing an academic task?

Question 2

How can we decide if either researched or secondary article are more appropriate to the task?

Question 3

What are the initial considerations when starting to critically read a text?

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We shall explore Question 3 in the next blog in this series.