Need an authoritative dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia? The library's reference collection is on the 1st floor, or use CREDO online.
When we think of "finding an article" we often think of newspapers or magazines. But there are several kinds of articles your assignments might require:
News - From newspapers reporting daily events (New York Times)
Magazine - Often called "popular" articles, these are general or for a specific interest (Time, Discover)
Trade - By and for specific industries (Advertising Age)
Scholarly - Reporting research, written by and for scholars and researchers (American Journal of Psychology)
See the chart below for more information on how to tell if an article is scholarly or popular.
| Scholarly Articles | Popular Articles | |
| Authorship | Scholars/experts in a field. Authors are always named and their institutional affiliation is given. | Staff writers or journalists. |
| Publisher | University presses, professional associations, research organizations. | For profit corporations. |
| Review | Peer review process by other experts in the field of study. | Fact-checker and/or editor. |
| Audience | Researchers, scholars, other experts. | General public. |
| Content/Length | Usually longer, focusing on a research study, or a review of research literature in a field. | Often shorter, with a more general focus. |
| Language | Technical, discipline specific terminology. | Written for a general reader with easier vocabulary. |
| Sources | Cited in a bibliography adhering to a specific citation style (MLA, APA, etc.) | Usually not cited, and when they are, are not generally standardized. |
| Structure | Usually includes: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, and bibliography. | Specific formats are not followed. |
| Advertising | Some. | Copious. |
The Fitchburg State library uses the Library of Congress Classification System.
DS
559.44
.S57
1992
Call numbers begin with one or two letters and are organized alphabetically on the shelves. These letters describe the general subject of a book. (DS = History of Asia)
The second line is a number, which gives more detail on the specific subject matter of the item. This line is read numerically. (559.44 = Vietnamese Conflict)
The third line often represents the author's last name, and read as a decimal. (S = Smith)
The last line is the date of publication and is read chronologically. (1992)