Scholarly vs. popular sources

Differences between scholarly and popular sources of information

Two types of information sources are scholarly and popular. These distinctions apply to books, websites, journals, and magazines.

Popular sources provide information about current events, opinions, and practices. They can also provide general overviews of a topic. Scholarly sources provide historical overviews and current scholarship about a topic. They also provide cited references, often making it easier to find more information. These sources are usually specialized in focus and based on case studies, research trials, or significant research.

Use the following information to determine which type of source you should use for a particular information need.

Scholarly	Popular
Intended for a specific audience, such as biologists; readers are assumed to have knowledge in the field	Written for a general audience, sometimes for a specific group such as teens or runners
Articles are written by scholars or professionals in a particular field	Articles are written by staff writers with no specific credentials in a particular field
Content is usually just text with few photos; usually lengthy articles, written in more technical or academic language	Usually have photos and advertising with fairly short articles
Articles are peer-reviewed (an editorial board reviews each article for accuracy and quality)	Articles are not peer reviewed
Articles report research and case studies and contain bibliographies	Articles contain entertainment and/or general information
Examples: American Sociological Review, Foreign Language Annals, Journal of British Studies	Examples: Time, Good Housekeeping, Runners World, Virginia-Pilot, Ebony
Sample citation from a scholarly source (MLA format): Wagenfeld-Heintz, Ellen. "One Mind or Two? How Psychiatrists and Psychologists Reconcile Faith and Science." Journal of Religion & Health 47.3 (Sep. 2008): 338-353.	Sample citation from a popular source (MLA format): Meacham, Jon. "More a Matter of Mystery Than Magic." Newsweek 21 July 2008: 30-31.