Library Research: A Step-By-Step Guide

Use this guide to learn more about the research process

Step 3b: Distinguishing between scholarly & popular sources

Step 3b: Distinguish between scholarly & popular sources

What is the difference between scholarly and popular sources?
  • Magazines and newspapers are usually considered to be "popular" sources
  • Some articles and books are considered "scholarly" - take a look at the info below!
Can I use both scholarly and popular sources?
  • it depends...
    • ​different sources give you different flavors on information - you might benefit from using a variety of sources
    • check your assignment to see if you are required to use scholarly sources 

Video: differences in source types

Scholarly versus popular sources - what's the difference?

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photo of newspapers

Newspapers

These articles are good both for finding recent information on a topic (what has happened in the last week or month) as well as finding out how historical events were reported in the past (for example, how was the AIDS crisis first reported in the 1980s?)

Appearance: 
  • Generally printed on newsprint in black ink.
Audience:
  • Written for the general public.
Author/Authority:
  • Articles written by staff writers and freelance journalists.
Citations:
  • Will sometimes cite sources, a scholar, or a freelance writer.
Content:
  • Includes current events and special features.
Frequency:
  • Usually published daily or weekly.

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photo of some popular magazine coversPopular Magazines

These articles are good for summarizing information on a topic for the general public.  They often provide a background, summarize research findings, and provide some analysis of a topic.

Appearance:
  • Generally attractive and illustrated with color photographs.
Audience:
  • Written for the general public.
Author/Authority:
  • Articles written by staff or freelance writer.
Content:
  • Includes current events and special features.
Frequency:
  • Usually published weekly or monthly.

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photo of trade journals

Trade Journals

*Sometimes called Professional Journals or Industry Journals

These articles are good to keep people in a particular field of work or trade (veterinarians, police officers, hotel managers, teachers, librarians, advertisers...etc.) up-to-date on trends in their line of work.  Articles often summarize and analyze findings from scholarly research.

Appearance: 
  • Generally attractive and are often illustrated with color photographs
Audience:
  • Written for industry professionals.
Author/Authority:
  • Articles written by staff writers, though the magazine may sometimes accept articles from industry professionals.
Citations:
  • Occasionally list references at the end of the article or provide footnotes within the text.
Content:
  • Includes current events and special features within a particular profession or industry.
Frequency:
  • Usually published biweekly or monthly.      

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a photo of some print journals

Scholarly journals

*Sometimes called Scholarly, Academic, Peer-reviewed or Refereed

These articles are good to find results of scientific or academic research.  They are written for scholars and provide in-depth analysis of a very specific area of your topic 

Appearance: 
  • Generally have a sober, serious look. May contain graphs and charts, but few glossy pages or photographs. Use scholarly language with vocabulary specific to their profession or field. May often have headings in article such as "literature review" "methods" "results" and "discussion." 
Audience:
  • Written for academics and professionals.
Author/Authority:
  • Articles written by researchers or scholars in the field who report the results of original research.
Citations:
  • Articles include footnotes and a list of citations at the end of the article.
Content:
  • Includes scholarly research for a particular profession or industry.
Frequency:
  • Usually published bimonthly or quarterly.

Images: All images in this tabbed box were taken by GRC librarians

How to Distinguish a Scholarly Book

Evidence that a book is scholarly

A scholarly book will: 

  • Be written by an expert or experts in the field (PH.D., M.D., etc preferred)
  • Usually present new research or analysis of previous research
  • Often be printed by a University Press
  • Not be written for popular audiences
  • Include extensive references to other scholarly work
Other Signs to Look For To Spot a Scholarly Book:
  • Read the record for the author and publisher. Are the credentials academic (an university press, a professor as an author)?
  • Academic language and subject matter?
  • In-text citations?
  • Thorough and exhaustive (long) reference list? 

One example of a scholarly book

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Image of a book called

The book we see here is called "The City is More Than Human: An Animal History of Seattle." You can't tell that it's scholarly just by looking at the cover. You have to dig a little deeper and look a little closer! 

  • In the first few pages, you can see copyright and publishing info. This book was published by the University of Washington Press
  • The author is Frederick L. Brown - and in the book we see his credentials.  He "holds a PhD in history from the University of Washington and works on a contract basis as a historian for the National Park Service." 
    • So here, we see that he is a professional in the field he is writing about. He has some great credentials and experience on the topic. If you search the author online (using quotation marks around the author's name can be helpful, like this "Frederick L. Brown") you can learn more. For example, before he became a historian, Brown used to be a reference librarian at UW. 
  • When you look through the pages of the book, you see extensive citations - references for all the sources he used. This is one significant difference between popular books and scholarly books! A lot of research has gone into writing this book! And you can be sure the book as been edited and reviewed!
  • And do note: it's not so much the topic of the subject that makes it scholarly! Anything that anyone has an interest in can be researched and written about in ia scholarly way.

Remember - if you're not sure, just come chat with a librarian! We're happy to help you figure it out! 

The image of the book was taken from the website - linked here, where you can read more about this book and publishing press
"Book cover" by University of Washington Press