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Understanding the differences between popular and scholarly sources is an important research tool because different types of sources are used for different reasons. This page will give you the tools to identify and know which type of source you need for your research needs. Overall, this information will help you research more effectively, which saves you time.
Your professor's will often require you to use "scholarly" or "academic" sources (as opposed to popular sources). But what exactly does that mean? How are these sources different? And how can you tell them apart? This section will briefly cover the differences between popular and scholarly sources, give some examples, and tips on how to identify the type of source you are look at.
| Descriptor | Popular Magazines | Scholarly Journals |
|---|---|---|
| Publication Scope | Usually a broad range of topics. | Specific, often focused on a specific field of study. |
| Article Subject Matter | Usually publishing an overview of a subject or re-reporting of other research or investigative reporting. Often includes opinion and editorial pieces commenting on social issues. | Often publishing original research and recent developments within a field. |
| Authors | Staff, journalists, not always attributed. Rare to have author accrediting affiliations or biography. | Scholars, researchers, experts in the field. Authors are listed with accrediting affiliations. |
| Editors | Editors on staff. | Referees, Peer Reviewers. |
| Audience | General Public. | Practitioners in the field, researchers, students, academics, and professionals. |
| Language | Non-technical, brief. | Academic language and tone, technical vocabulary. |
| References | Quotes & facts often attributed in text; citations rare. | Bibliographies and reference lists with copious footnotes and in-text citations. |
| Timeliness | Relatively fast publication after an event, making current event coverage possible. | Often takes years to get articles published, not a source for current events. |
| Look: Images | Often colorful with photos or illustrations. Designed to attract the eye of customers. | Text and images are rare. Articles often accompanied by tables or graphs. |
| Look: Advertisements | Common, diverse. | Rare, focused on related journals and conferences. |
| Examples | Newsweek, Vogue, Time, National Geographic | The Historian, Applied Geography, American Communication Journal |
You will hear the phrase "peer reviewed" over and over again in your assignments. But what does it mean? A peer reviewed article is an article that has gone through the peer reviewed process. This process is where experts in a field review and evaluate a manuscript prior to its publication. It is a strong indicator of a credible source and quality scholarship. The peer review process takes years to navigate and, therefore, there will always be a long delay between an event and scholarly publication. Additionally, be careful of imposter articles. Not everything inside a peer reviewed journal is peer reviewed. Some journals also include editorials and letters, which are not peer-reviewed. The format of these sources (reviews and letters) usually makes them easy to distinguish from peer reviewed articles in the journal. However, if you are unsure, check with a librarian.
Peer-Reviewed articles are often considered the "gold standard" of academic sources and your professor will often ask you to cite them. While these sources are important and useful, these materials are authored almost solely by academics. Review the information above on how authority is constructed and contextual. If you only rely on peer-reviewed sources, whose voices are being left out of the conversation and your research?
A researcher performs a study or researches a topic and writes a paper.
Image Credit: "The Peer Review Process" from UC Berkeley's Understanding Science.
Scholarly journal articles are long, much longer than the newspaper, magazine, online articles you may be used to reading. No one wants to waste time reading a long, technically written journal article if it isn't going to be relevant to your research.
So, before you sit down to read a lengthy article, follow the tips in the infographic image below to ensure the article is relevant to your research needs.
Image Credit: Brandeis Library. "Is this Article Relevant to my Research: A Guide to Skimming" from Brandeis Library.
A transcript of the image's text can be found here.
Your professor's will often require you to use "scholarly" or "academic" sources (as opposed to popular sources). But what exactly does that mean? How are these sources different? And how can you tell them apart? This section will briefly cover the differences between popular and scholarly sources, give some examples, and tips on how to identify the type of source you are look at.
Watch this 2:06 video to understand what defines a scholarly source and differentiates it from a popular source.
Video Credit: "How Library Stuff Works: Scholarly vs Popular Sources" by McMaster Libraries licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed).
Watch this 3 minute video to understand the what the peer reviewed process behind scholarly works, why it is such a credible process, and how long it takes to complete.
Video Credit: “Peer Review in Three Minutes” by North Carolina State University Libraries licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US.
Some peer-reviewed journals also include editorials and letters, which are not peer-reviewed. Watch this 3:29 video to learn about and how to identify imposter articles.
Video Credit: "Smarter than the Filter: Finding the Research Article Among the Imposters" by North Carolina State University Libraries licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US.
Scholarly journal articles are long, much longer than the newspaper, magazine, online articles you may be used to reading. No one wants to waste time reading a long, technically written journal article if it isn't going to be relevant to your research. So, instead take the time here to learn how to read a scholarly article to determine its relevancy to your research.
Watch this 2:34 video for tips on how to approach and read a scholarly article. This information will save you a lot of time during your research by ensuring you only read sources that are relevant to your research needs.
Video Credit: “How to Read a Scholarly Article” by Western University licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0.