Abstract

The article examines two important sources of knowledge: scientific journal articles (SJAs) and university lecturers. No doubt, these are major sources in science and education, with academia playing a key role in forming their content and directing their application. Academic circles not only produce scientific knowledge but also translate its value to society, determining the image of scientific sources. In this context, knowledge sources are viewed as constructs shaped by structures of epistemological and sociopsychological categories present in social consciousness. This understanding is suggested by the concept of epistemological attitude. Using this model, the article analyzes these sources and their content through the lens of cognition, employing a model-based method to explore how scholars perceive, approach, use, and value them. Two instruments aligned with this method: the Epistemological Attitude Toward Sources of Knowledge Questionnaire and the Semantic Questionnaire, which were administered to 126 scholars, including lecturers and researchers from various universities in Latvia. The statistical analysis of the empirical data, including test statistics and correlation analysis, along with qualitative interpretations, reveals the value of knowledge from SJAs and the knowledge provided by university lecturers. The results also model the semantic constructs of both sources, considering their epistemological and sociopsychological meanings, which are shared by the academic community and conveyed to society. The research findings enhance the field of knowledge research, particularly in understanding the desired and actual quality of knowledge. Additionally, the theoretical framework can stimulate productive discussions about investigating knowledge-related objects and topics.