Your professors will often ask you to use scholarly sources for your assignments. A peer-reviewed article is one example of a scholarly source.
A table summarizing the attributes of popular, scholarly and professional sources.
| |
POPULAR & NEWS |
SCHOLARLY |
PROFESSIONAL |
| Why? |
Information and entertainment |
Communicate research and scholarship |
Professional information (industry/career specific). |
| Who for? |
General public |
Researchers, professors, students |
Professionals in the field |
| Author |
Journalists, freelancers. |
Researchers, professors |
Practitioners on the job (e.g. teachers, counselors) |
| Recognize by... |
* Articles are pretty easy to read
* Absence of references
* Advertisements
* Usually shorter, a few pages
|
* Articles are difficult to read
* Begin with abstract
* Lots of references
* Methodology sometimes described
* Usually longer, 7+ pages
|
* Practitioners views
* Industry information
* Discuss trends and issues
* Advertisements
|
| Where will I find it? |
Google, Library Databases |
Google Scholar, Library Databases |
Google, Library Databases |
| Sample Titles |
New York Times
Time Magazine
|
Journal of Sociology
Educational Researcher
|
Grocery Headquarters
Computer Fraud and Security
|
