When you have a research assignment, many professors will expect you to read and cite scholarly sources, which are often contrasted with popular sources. The main differences between scholarly and popular sources involve how they are published and their purpose.
Popular sources like newspaper and magazine articles are intended for a general audience. They tend to be short, easy to read, and enhanced with eye-catching images and colors.
Scholarly sources are longer, more complex, and full of text. They may include charts and graphs or reproductions of images that are interpreted in the text. Most, but not all, scholarly sources are peer reviewed. Examples of scholarly sources include articles published in scholarly journals and books published by university and academic presses.
| Scholarly | Popular | Trade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example |  |
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| Audience | Academic researchers | General audience | Professionals in the business |
| Authors | Unpaid experts and specialists | Paid staff and freelance journalists and writers | Paid staff writers and industry experts |
| Editors | Unpaid editors and peer reviewers | Paid editors | Paid editors |
| Articles | Usually 10-20 pages, sophisticated text with few charts, graphs, or illustrations | Usually 1-3 pages, easy-to-read text with full-color illustrations | Usually 2-4 pages, easy-to-read text with professional jargon and full-color illustrations |
| Citations | Almost always, many | Rarely, few | Sometimes, few |
