It's imperative to recognize the difference between entertainment, journalism and scholarship.
| How Can You Tell the Difference Between Types of Sources? |
Popular |
Trade / Professional |
Scholarly / Academic |
| Author | Most articles are signed, though not all, but little information beyond a name. Books may or may not have an author. | Professionals, science writers, journalists. You may have to dig for credentials. | Primarily experts, often university or industry researchers, whose credentials are usually included. |
| Audience | General public. Written for the "average" person who doesn't need in-depth knowledge of a topic. (popular) | General public with an interest in more in-depth discussion of topic. (mostly popular - can be intended for "working professionals") | Academics: scholars, researchers, college and graduate students |
| Content | Entertainment, informative. | Some in-depth discussion and analysis with research on current popular topics in information technology. | Research, analysis, scholarship. Often includes abstract, research methods, conclusion, bibliography (look for a References list!) |
| Length | Shorter articles providing broad overviews of topics. (popular) | Short newsy items to longer, in-depth articles / chapters. May include "how-to" on a professional tool or task. | Longer articles providing in-depth analysis of topics. Will usually focus on the "big picture." (scholarly) |
| (Print) Appearance | Glossy, colorful, pictures, busy, advertisements. Unclear division between ad and editorial content. | Glossy, pictures, advertisements. | Text-heavy, black & white, graphs, charts, relevant images, few specialized advertisements. |
| Credibility | Articles are generally evaluated by staff editors rather than experts in the field. Sources are frequently uncited and anonymous. | Articles are reviewed by editors and sometimes by experts in the field. Check the "Overview" or Introduction section of books to see if an author identifies the title as for a professional audience. | Articles are submitted for peer-review and approval by professionals and scholars in the field. Frequently sent back for revision for evidence, currency, comprehensiveness. Books are collections of scholarship. |
