This video offers a thorough process of taking notes on academic papers, with slight emphasis on learning terminology and using Evernote.
This video excels at describing and highlighting the anatomy of scholarly articles and their value to readers.
Consider the following points when reading a scholarly article:
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Explanation |
Factual information that provides an overview of or context for a topic. |
Sources that will be analyzed or interpreted |
Critical views from other scholars or commentators that can be agreed with, disagreed with, or built upon. |
The method and theories used to shape a research methodology, approach, or analytical lens |
Examples |
Encyclopedia entries, overviews in books, statistics, historical newspaper articles |
Text of a novel, field observation, focus group data, interviews, performances, results from an experiment |
Scholarly articles, books, critical reviews, editorials |
references to theorists (Foucault, Said) or theories (feminism, critical race theory), information on a research methodology |
Where are you most likely to use these sources? |
Introduction |
Body, Results section |
Body, sometimes in the Introduction or a Literature Review |
Methods section, sometimes referenced in the Introduction or the Body |
Rather than only think about whether a source is primary, secondary, or tertiary; instead think about how you are going to use that source. If you have at least one source in each category, your writing will be stronger and your arguments will be better supported.
Sources can serve more than one function!
For instance, a journal article could:
However, some sources are focused on a single function. For example, an encyclopedia entry on “Alzheimer's disease” is likely to only serve as background information.
Credits:
The BEAM method is from: Bizup, Joseph. “BEAM: A Rhetorical Vocabulary for Teaching Research-Based Writing.” Rhetoric Review 27.1 (2008): 72-86.
This page is adapted from "Source Functions: Background, Exhibits, Argument, Method (BEAM)" from the University of California Merced Library.
Image Credits:
BEAM title image: 10. Column and Beam Details - Hantz House, 855 Fairview Drive, Fayetteville, Washington County, AR Drawings from Survey HABS AR-54 created by the Historic American Buildings Survey is in the Public Domain.
Background icon: Investigation free icon created by Nhor Phai is used under Flaticon.com's license.
Exhibit icon: Encyclopedia free icon created by Talha Dogar is used under Flaticon.com's license.
Argument icon: Application free icon created by Freepik is used under Flaticon.com's license.
Method icon: Pie Chart free icon created by Freepik is used under Flaticon.com's license.
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