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Mount Royal University

Library

Assignment Overview

Library Assignment

  • Find 2 scholarly sources on the theme of "the Other."
  • Provide MLA citations and analyze author credentials, scholarly relevance, and connection to the theme.
  • Focus on preparing for the research essay.

Research Paper

  • Investigate how aesthetic experiences mediate understanding of "the Other."
  • Write a 1000–1200-word formal essay using 5 academic sources.
  • Topics include themes like politics, gender, race, cultural identity, etc.
  • All citations must follow MLA format.
  • Emphasize connection: Library assignment builds foundational research skills for the essay.

Academic Sources

Scholarly vs. Popular Sources

A scholarly publication features articles written by experts for other experts. These are often called "peer-reviewed," "academic," or "refereed" journals. This means that before an article is published, it is reviewed by other scholars in the same field to ensure the research and findings are reliable.

Scholarly / Peer-Reviewed

Popular / Not Scholarly (but possibly still credible!)

Author

  • Expert

  • Journalist / professional writer

Review Process

  • Reviewed by an editorial board or other experts ("peers")

  • Reviewed by an editor

Audience /
Language

  • Scholars and students

  • Technical language

  • General public

  • Easy to understand

Content

  • Original research

  • Uses previously published literature for background

  • News and practical information

  • Uses a variety of sources for background 

Sources

  • Always cited

  • Sometimes cited

Examples

  • Peer-reviewed articles

  • Scholarly books

  • Literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses

  • Theses and dissertations

  • Magazine articles

  • Newspaper articles

  • Blog articles

  • Encyclopedias

  • Textbooks

  • Websites

  • Social media

RADAR

Relevance

  • Does this source fit my topic?

  • What is this source's intended audience?

    • Is that intended audience appropriate for my use case in this assignment?

Authority

  • Is/are the creator(s) of this source clearly identified or known to us?

  • How important is it in this use case to trust the source's creator(s)?

    • If it is important, why should we trust the source's creator(s)?

    • Is the source's creator credentialed or an expert in their field?

Date

  • Is the creation or publication date of this source identified or known to us?

  • Is this source too old?

Accuracy

  • Do this source's facts "check out"?

  • Does the source have references of its own?

Reason (for Creation)

  • Why was this source made?

  • Was this source made to sell a product or service, to inform/educate, to entertain, etc?

(Source: SAIT)

Head to the MRU Library citation guides to get guidance on paper formatting and referencing sources.

Instructions

(Image by Markus Winkler from Pixabay)

STEP 1: Open the following link to the example scholarly article

EXAMPLE ARTICLE: "Popular media, war propaganda and retroactive continuity: The construction of the enemy in Marvel comics (1942–1981)"
 

STEP 2: In groups of two, determine what makes this source scholarly.

PUT YOUR NOTES HERE: Google Doc
 

Not sure where to start? Here are some starting points:

  • Review the summary in this guide on peer-review
  • Where was it published? What is the journal title? (Maybe google the journal?)
  • Are there lots of citations?
  • Can you find anything else out about the authors?

"Theming" Your Research Topic

To help you find research on your topic, consider breaking the topic down or "theming" it. There are a variety of benefits to this approach.

  • Clarifies Research Scope: Helps identify key aspects of a topic, narrowing down broad concepts into manageable subtopics.
     
  • Generates Search Terms: Provides a variety of single words and phrases to use in database and catalog searches.
     
  • Encourages Creative Thinking: Allows you to see connections between ideas, leading to more innovative approaches to your research.
     
  • Organizes Ideas Visually: Makes it easier to understand the structure of your topic and prioritize areas for investigation.
     
  • Saves Time: Streamlines the research process by creating a clear roadmap of where to focus your efforts.

Example Mind Map in Miro

Example search

Topic: Depictions of the enemy during the cold war

Librarian

Profile Photo
Erik Christiansen

Contact:
Email: echristiansen@mtroyal.ca
Phone: 403.440.5168
Office: EL4423C
Website