Yes! It is important to understand the difference between these two types of sources. Students can easily misinterpret a source as scholarly when it really is not. Check out the scholarly vs popular sources table below to learn what makes them different.
That depends on your assignment and you instructor. Popular sources may be appropriate if your assignment topic is on a particular celebrity, movie, book, or other piece of popular culture. Always check with your instructor before using popular sources in your assignments!
|
Scholarly Journals "Academic" or "Research" |
Popular Newspaper & Magazines "General" or "Journalistic" |
| Authors are named and usually affiliated with an institution. | Authors are potentially anonymous. |
| Authors are subject matter experts. | Authors are journalists. |
| Articles are peer-reviewed. | Articles are not peer-reviewed. |
| Citation lists are lengthy and extensive. | Citation lists are little to non-existent. |
| Advertisements are limited. | Advertisements are everywhere. |
| Articles are lengthy and very detailed. | Articles are shorter and focus on general points. |
| Issues are published on a less frequent basis (semi-annually, quarterly, monthly). | Issues are published frequently (daily, weekly, monthly). |
| Target audiences are professionals, academics, and students. | Target audiences are the general public. |
| Titles typically include words like bulletin, journal, or review. | Titles do not typically include words like bulletin, journal, or review. Except "The Wall Street Journal," which is not a scholarly publication. |
