There are many types of sources of information: magazines, journals, newspapers, websites, government documents, etc. Some are scholarly, some are not. Some are credible, some are not. Certain situations require certain types of sources; in other words authority is contextual. It's important to think about who your audience is and what they will consider a good argument.
Instructions: Listed below are three sources. Take a look at each one and decide what type of source it is (magazine article, website, etc.) and whether it is scholarly or popular. As you're analyzing each source, think about the following:
STRUCTURE: Compare the physical characteristics of the items, such as length, sections, labeling, & graphics
TONE/STYLE: What does the writing style reflect about the purpose/intended audience of the article?
PURPOSE: To inform? Educate? Entertain? What audience is it aimed at?
AUTHOR: What can you tell about the author and their credentials/affiliations?
Can you think of an example when you might use each of the sources?