What is the Difference Between Scholarly and Popular Sources?

The main difference between scholarly and popular sources lies in their purpose, audience, and the level of expertise required to understand the content. Here are the key differences between the two:

Scholarly Sources:

• Written by experts in the field for experts in the field or academic audiences, such as professors, researchers, and students.
• Undergo a formal evaluation process before publication, ensuring high-quality information and accuracy of results.
• Focus on specific, often narrowly focused topics in lengthy, in-depth articles.
• Contain references, bibliographies, notes, and/or works cited.
• Minimal to no advertising, and any included advertising promotes books, journals, conferences, or similar academic materials.
• Mostly published by scholarly presses or professional organizations.
• Articles follow a standard format, including abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, and bibliography/references.

Popular Sources:

• Written for the general public, often by journalists, freelance writers, or generalists.
• Tend to have shorter sentences and simpler language, with the primary goal of reaching a broad audience.
• Focus on a broad range of topics, presented in shorter articles.
• May not include references or bibliographies, and any included facts may not be verified.
• Contain advertising designed to attract potential customers, often featuring photographs or illustrations.
• Mostly published by for-profit entities.
• Articles do not always follow a specific format and may lack comprehensive bibliographies or references.

In summary, scholarly sources are intended for academic audiences, are written by experts in the field, and undergo a formal evaluation process before publication, while popular sources are intended for general audiences and are often written by journalists or freelance writers without the same level of expertise or evaluation process.

Comparative Table: Scholarly vs Popular Sources

Here is a table comparing the differences between scholarly and popular sources:

Remember that the purpose of distinguishing between these types of sources is to determine their degree of authority and intrinsic academic value[^2^]. Scholarly sources are written by experts in their respective fields and are intended for academic or specialized audiences such as professors, researchers, and students[^1^]. Popular sources, on the other hand, are written for a broad, general audience and are typically designed to inform and entertain[^1^].