Scholarly vs. Popular Sources
Scholarly vs Popular: Which is better?
Scholarly and popular resources are each valuable in their own way, so neither is "better" but one or the other will probably be better for your needs.
When doing research for your paper:
- Popular resources can be great when trying to think of ideas for your topic or when gathering background information.
- Scholarly resources are for doing the research to support the points you are making in your paper. In college or when doing professional research, you should support your arguments by citing scholarly resources.
Pro-tip: Always start by looking at your assignment to see if your professor has specified what types of sources you should use!
Scholarly vs. Popular: What's the difference?
A scholarly or academic resources is one that was written by experts in the field for researchers or other experts.
A popular resource is one that was written for the general public.
Here are some ways you can tell the difference:
| Scholarly or Academic | Popular |
| Has a narrow scope or is limited to a specific field of study; goal is to promote and disseminate scholarly research | Designed for a broad, general audience; primary goal is to make a profit |
| Intended for academic or specialized audiences such as professors, researchers, students | Does not require expertise in the field to understand the information; designed for the general population |
| Has tables and graphs | Has pictures and media included |
| Has references, bibliographies, notes and/or works cited included | May have verified facts, but does not include references or bibliographies |
| Has little or no advertising; included advertising promotes books, journals, conferences | Has advertising |
| Has an author and author affiliations; authors are experts in their respective field | May or may not have an author listed; authors are generalists, journalists, or freelance writers |
| Published by a scholarly press or professional organization | Published by a for-profit entity |
| Editorial board of scholars in the field who review articles prior to publication in a process known as refereed or peer-review | Editor is a journalist who works for the publisher |