Scholarly vs. Popular Sources
Scholarly resources are works (books, articles and other bodies of researched information) that are written by experts in an academic field for other professionals and experts in their discipline. Scholarly resources have a whole set of criteria (listed in the table below) that are usually easily identified.
There are many types of popular magazines that are published today, both in print and electronically. Research that involves popular magazines often requires that the resources are published by a reputable publisher. Reputable magazines are those that have a history of reporting or printing authoritative, fact-based information.
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Characteristics |
Scholarly |
Popular |
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How do you tell the |
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Author(s)/Writer(s) |
As an expert on the subject of the article, the author’s name and credentials (academic position, education, other works) are always provided. Often there is more than just one author, but everyone’s credentials are listed. |
Often articles are written by a free-lance journalist, staff writer or an entire department. Name and credentials are not consistently listed. |
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Credits |
Footnotes, in-text citations and bibliographies are always provided to document research thoroughly. |
In-text citations to reports or outside references might be made within the article, but bibliographies/works cited pages are rarely provided. |
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Editors |
A panel of experts in the subject field reviews and critically evaluates the articles before approving them for publication (refereed/judged). |
Articles are edited and evaluated by an editor on staff at the magazine. |
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Format/Structure |
Articles must follow academic structure that usually includes the following sections: abstract, literature review, methodology, result, conclusion and bibliography. |
Articles are written in essay formats without a specific research structures (such as an abstract). |
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Language/Audience |
Technical language/jargon of the discipline is used throughout the article for a scholarly audience (professors, researchers, graduate students). |
Written in language that the general public can understand. |
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Length of Article |
Typically longer than five pages, allowing in-depth analysis of topics. |
Typically shorter than five pages, providing a broader overview of topics. |
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Special Features |
Charts, tables, statistics, graphs, maps and technical photographs that support the thesis of the article. |
Glossy or color photography that support both the storylines as well as advertisements within the magazine. |
