CRWT Lesson 3 Flashcards
are written by experts in a particular field. They are not self-
published. Rather, the manuscript goes through a series of editing, typesetting and quality checking performed by other experts in a peer-review setting. The language used here is formal, sometimes containing jargons and other technical stylistic choices.
The authors are well represented in academic articles as their names, credentials and affiliations build the text’s credibility and reputation. The references are also compiled to support the veracity of all information included in the text.
Lastly, academic articles are considered as primary sources as they have been scientifically and systematically researched and written. They also undergo strict peer- review process, which sometimes takes years to finish.
Academic Articles
are considered as primary sources as they have been scientifically and systematically researched and written. They also undergo strict peer- review process, which sometimes takes years to finish.
Academic Articles
on the other hand, are written for the mass public. They are
published quickly and can be written by anyone. Authorship is not limited to credentials, writing ability or substance, as fame, with or without credibility, sometimes suffices as qualification for writing non-academic articles. There are also times when creativity is avored over credibility
Because these texts are non-scientific and non-systematic, references are not required nd consistency is a choice, not a requirement. Informality may be preferred over ormality since these texts normally target the masses and not the experts and rofessionals. A reference list is optional as well.
Non-Academic Articles
are considered as secondary sources and should never be
prioritized over academic articles as references. Most of your references should also come from academic articles, not non-academic articles to uphold credibility
Non-Academic Articles
What is the title? Does it reflect the topic?
What details, style and arguments do you expect?
What do you currently know about the topic? Are there gaps and grey areas with
your current knowledge of the topic?
Is there any need for background reading prior to reading the current text in order
to make understanding faster and more fluid?
These information are often reflected on the cover, preface and table of content of the
book. For stories, the synopsis at the back can give you the information that you need.
What questions should you raise?
Who is in concern in the issue?
Who controls the result of the issue?
Who are the key decision makers or key contributors in creating and resolving
the issue?
Who is affected by the issue?
Quipping yourself with prior knowledge before reading the text can help you identify the
biases of the authors, and possibly the unintentional errors.
Who are the stakeholders?
What is the background of the author?
What are his or her goals in writing the text?
It is possible that the text is no longer consistent with the author’s prior works or
statements, so you need to consider some information:
When was the text published?
Where was it published?
Who was the publisher?
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The Nature of the Text
These information can help the reader understand the reason behind the inconsistency.
The text may no longer be updated or may be the updated one.
The place of publication may also prompt the author to slightly alter the content to fit in
the culture of the target readers in a particular area.
Sometimes, the publisher also influences the creative direction of the book, so the
author might write things that he or she does not fully agree with, all of the sake of
marketability. This happens not only in the publishing industry but also in the music
industry where artistry is sacrificed for commercial appeal.
What do you know about the author?
Learning how to separate academic texts from non-academic texts is an imperative for students as this knowledge is needed in researching, reviewing and passing assessments. But how do they differ from each other exactly?
ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC TEXTS
