Interactive Media Design (IMD): IMD Capstone Research

Innovative design projects are often based on three areas:

1. problem (a social justice/change the world problem that interests you)
2. technology (an application, prototype, or website that addresses the problem in an innovative way)
3. audience (a population interested or concerned about this problem)

Remember, there is no one perfect source! You will likely have to research these three components separately and explain how your various sources help inform your project.

Popular sources (e.g. magazines)

• Are often written by journalists or professional writers for a general audience
• Use language easily understood by general readers
• Rarely give full citations for sources
• Written for the general public
• Tend to be shorter than journal articles

Scholarly sources (e.g. journals)

• Are written by and for faculty, researchers or scholars (chemists, historians, doctors, artists, etc.)
• Uses scholarly or technical language
• Tend to be longer articles about research
• Include full citations for sources
• Are often refereed or peer reviewed (articles are reviewed by an editor and other specialists before being accepted for publication)
• Book reviews and editorials are not considered scholarly articles, even when found in scholarly journals

Source: University of Arizona Libraries. (2015, December 15). Popular vs. Scholarly Articles - Guide.

Test your knowledge! Go take the popular vs. scholarly article quiz from the University of Arizona Libraries. (Not required for class.)