[SOLVED] An academic source or not?

How do you know if something is an academic source or not???
Even if you find something in an academic journal, it may not actually be an academic source – sometimes there are other things included such as editorials, reviews, reports – so it is up to you to use your critical thinking skills when you choose and evaluate your sources.  Below is a checklist that will help you to decide if something is an academic source of not.
1.    Where did you locate the source?  It is published originally in an academic journal or book? Or is it in a non-academic source such as a newspaper, magazine or website?  If you’re not sure if a journal is academic, google it and look for clues such as “peer reviewed” or “academic journal.” For books, check out the publisher.  Many academic books are published by universities, and so have names like Chicago University Press, Cambridge University Press (or UP). If you’re not sure, google the publisher and look for clues like the word academic.
2.    How long is the source?  If it’s only 2-3 pages, it’s not going to be an academic article.  Look for articles that are at least 10 pages long (if it’s in columns then it can be around 5 pages X 2 columns = 10 pages).
3.    Who are the authors? Are they experts/academics?  Books and academic articles usually tell you the authors’ affiliation (where they teach/research).
4.    Is there an abstract? Are there key words?  Although this is not always required, many academic articles have one or both of these.
5.    Are there references (usually at the bottom of the page or at the end of the article)?
6.    Is it too pretty to be an academic source?  Are there pictures and graphics that make it seem more like a magazine article than an academic source?
7.    Check for clues that tell you it’s NOT academic – words like editorial, review, report, letter.
Be a good detective and use your common sense!
Annotated Bibliography Assignment Sheet
The next step in your research paper is to write an annotated bibliography. In this assignment you will choose and evaluate sources that you will use in your paper.
You will be creating a PowerPoint slide show for this assignment, putting one source entry on each slide.
For this assignment you will be finding SIX sources that you will use in your final essay. At least three of these must be academic sources (an article or a book).  You can have more than three academic sources if you want. Or you can choose a different kind of source that works best for your paper for the other three sources (as long as you have six in total and at least three are academic)  – a YouTube video, a blog, a magazine article, etc. There are a few kinds of sources that you cannot use for an academic paper – see below for unacceptable sources.
Simply choosing four or five sources that say that same thing will not be helpful to you as you explore your topic and construct your argument.  Remember you are evaluating the sources for your research paper so you must plan how the information will be useful to you.
Start each letter of a source on a new slide.  Follow the formatting below.  Also include a slide that says if the source is academic or not.
Sample will be placed on Moodle.
ACCEPTABLE SOURCES:
Required sources:
Scholarly articles or books (from a physical library or library database) – MINIMUM THREE
Other appropriate sources include:
1.    Magazine article (print or online)
2.    Newspaper (with clearly identified reporter – no wire reports)
3.    Blog (include URL)
4.    Governmental or NGO website (include URL)
5.    Interview with a professor, expert, or someone with knowledge or interest in your topic.
6.    DVDs, Internet clips, or any other clearly identified sources
UNACCEPTABLE SOURCES:
7.    Dictionaries
8.    Encyclopedias
9.    Wikipedia.
Each bibliographic entry should be on a new slide and consist of five separate parts (5 slides for each entry)
First:  Academic or Non-Academic
a.    The citation, in correct MLA format with all required information
b.    The brief summary of the source
c.    The analysis/evaluation of your source
d.    The role of the source in your project
a. Citation (example of academic journal citation only – use appropriate format of the source in MLA format). Purdue OWL is a good source.
Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages.
b. Summary:  What are the main arguments? What topics are discussed?  What conclusions are reached?
c. Analysis/Evaluation:  What are the author’s credentials and is the information provided reliable? Why or why not?  Is this source biased or objective?  What is the purpose of this source?  Who might its primary audience be?  How does the information presented in this text reflect a particular perspective or representation of the issue you are researching?
d. Reflection:  In what specific way is this source helpful to you?  How does it help you shape your argument?  Will you analyze this text?  Will you use it to support your own argument?  Where will you use this source in your research project? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography?
DUE:  Monday July 18th at 11:59 pm on Moodle
This assignment is worth 10% of your course grade.
( this is suppossed to be done on slide show uploaded sample )