Let's Compare

In the previous module we learned about background information and where to find it. This page reviews the major differences between background articles and research articles.

Background Articles

Image of a online encyclopedia article about solar energy

Background articles come from a dictionary or encyclopedia (such as Credo Reference or Wikipedia)
Background articles often are compiled by an editor with no attribution
Background articles give an overview of an entire subject

In-Depth Research Article

Image of a journal article titled Biological Solar Energy.

In-depth articles come from a journal often from library databases or Google Scholar
In-depth articles are written by one or more named scholars in the field
In-depth articles focus on a specific subject within a topic area

Continue to the next page and learn how to read in-depth articles.