Section Overview
Dear Students,
The readings selected for this section of the book highlight the wonderful work of past and present Sheridan students and professors. You will find representative samples of different modes of writing here – everything from newspaper articles to academic journal articles – that have been published by or about different members of the Sheridan community. We hope that this cross-section of work will help to inspire you as you progress through your program of study and help you to understand better the practical applications of the techniques and skills that we teach in this course.
For more help in understanding the conventions that are being used in these different modes of writing, we have also provided some information below for quick-reference so that you can easily refer back to better understand the different writing models that you are encountering.
With warm wishes,
The Sheridan English Faculty
Information Sources
| Resource Type | Description | Examples |
| Reference works | Reference works provide a summary of information about a particular topic. Almanacs, encyclopedias, atlases, medical reference books, and scientific abstracts are examples of reference works. In some cases, reference books may not be checked out of a library. Note that reference works are many steps removed from original primary sources and are often brief, so they should be used only as a starting point when you gather information. |
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| Nonfiction books | Nonfiction books provide in-depth coverage of a topic. Trade books, biographies, and how-to guides are usually written for a general audience. Scholarly books and scientific studies are usually written for an audience that has specialized knowledge of a topic. |
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| Periodicals and news sources | These sources are published at regular intervals—daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Newspapers, magazines, and academic journals are examples. Some periodicals provide articles on subjects of general interest, while others are more specialized. |
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| Government publications | Federal, provincial, and local government agencies publish information on a variety of topics. Government publications include reports, legislation, court documents, public records, statistics, studies, guides, programs, and forms. |
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| Business and nonprofit publications | Businesses and nonprofit organizations produce publications designed to market a product, provide background about the organization, provide information on topics connected to the organization, or promote a cause. These publications include reports, newsletters, advertisements, manuals, brochures, and other print documents. |
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Evaluating Research Sources
| Tier | Type | Content | Uses | How to find them |
| 1 | Peer-reviewed academic publications | Rigorous research and analysis | Provide strong evidence for claims and references to other high-quality sources | Google Scholar, library catalogs, and academic article databases |
| 2 | Reports, articles, and books from credible non-academic sources | Well researched and even-handed descriptions of an event or state of the world | Initial research on events or trends not yet analyzed in the academic literature; may reference important Tier 1 sources | Websites of relevant agencies, Google searches using (site: *.gov or site: *.org), academic article databases |
| 3 | Short pieces from newspapers or credible websites | Simple reporting of events, research findings, or policy changes | Often point to useful Tier 2 or Tier 1 sources, may provide a factoid or two not found anywhere else | Strategic Google searches or article databases including newspapers and magazines |
| 4 | Agenda-driven or uncertain pieces | Mostly opinion, varying in thoughtfulness and credibility | May represent a particular position within a debate; more often provide keywords and clues about higher quality sources | Non-specific Google searches |
