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CMST 210 - Interpersonal Communication (Capell): Peer-Reviewed & College-Level Sources Activities

Library information and resources for Jennifer Capell's CMST 210 class

Activity Instructions

Look at the two examples in each box. Evaluate them and decide which article matches the description of the box. Be prepared to discuss why you think one article is peer-reviewed or college level and why the others are not.

Peer-Reviewed or not Peer-Reviewed?

Example 1: Business: Good and hungry; the changes facing fast food

 

Example 2: Prices and availability of healthy foods across St. Louis

 

  • Often includes statistics and data
  • Always has citations/works cited/references/bibliography
  • The authors are experts and use expert language 
  • Published in a peer-reviewed journal
  • Usually includes an abstract
  • Often has multiple authors
  • Usually is pretty long (10+ pages)

Peer-Reviewed or not Peer-Reviewed - Decide!

Select the article you think is peer-reviewed.
Business: Good and hungry; the changes facing fast food: 3 votes (12.5%)
Prices and availability of healthy foods across St. Louis: 21 votes (87.5%)
Total Votes: 24

College-Level?

Example 1: Freedom from fries

 

Example 2: Calories on menus may affect restaurants more than patrons

  • Combines characteristics of peer-reviewed and popular articles
  • Author has knowledge of topic
  • Includes sources (not always as formal citations)
  • References research or experts
  • Substantial length (usually at least 5 pages)
  • Good sources for college-level articles include: The New York Times Magazine, The American Scholar, Financial Times, Orion Magazine, Scientific American, Discovery, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Time, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic

College-Level or not College Level?

Select the article you think represents a college level source.
Freedom from fries: 16 votes (66.67%)
Calories on menus may affect restaurants more than patrons: 8 votes (33.33%)
Total Votes: 24

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