If you're working on the paper for THE 210, remember to use limiters to identify the source type you're looking for, as well as to limit your results to articles from the last 10 years!
Peer-reviewed articles (also known as "refereed" articles) are scholarly articles which have undergone peer review, a process where other academics and experts in the field read over the paper and offer suggestions to improve it before publication. This is done to ensure that published articles are accurate, high quality, and useful to the academic discourse.
Many of the library databases allow you to limit your search results to only peer-reviewed articles or journals. Check the search options in the Advanced Search (or, depending on the database, in the filter menu once you create a search) and select the option for "Peer-reviewed". See below for a selection of databases for theology research which contain peer-reviewed articles.
Newspaper articles are great sources for current events, as they provide up-to-date information on a topic and a timeline of how an event develops over time. For older topics, newspapers can provide insight into what was going on and what people were discussing when an event occurred. News articles are written by journalists and typically do not contain citations.
When choosing a newspaper, consider if you are interested in local, national, or international news, as that will dictate the material covered in that publication.
Encyclopedias and dictionaries are sources which provide basic factual information on a topic and introduce you to key concepts and other relevant information. These sources are often a good place to begin research, as they identify and define core aspects of your research topic. Entries are often short and to the point, and do not typically go into much depth or complexity.
When choosing an encyclopedia or dictionary, consider whether or not you need a general understanding or specific definition. For example, a general dictionary will have a definition for catechism, but a religious dictionary or encyclopedia may have more specific information. This depends on your topic and how you want to write about it.