Scholarly and Popular Sources

Source Types

Sources can be classified in many ways. For example, your book distinguishes between Scholarly and

Popular sources, but also between Primary, Secondary and Tertiary sources. (Module 1.4) We can also

distinguish sources by types related to how it is created and published. There is a difference between a

book, a newspaper article, and a Twitter post.

The distinction between Scholarly and Popular sources is one of the most important ways of classifying

sources that you will need to learn for academic writing. This is because Scholarly sources are almost

always acceptable in academic writing, but Popular sources usually aren’t. Exactly which types of

sources are acceptable for a given assignment varies quite a bit depending on the field of study and the

nature of the specific project. The same source may be fine for a writing assignment in an introductory

Business course, but not at all acceptable in an advanced History course. As the author, you are

responsible for making sure your sources are appropriate for a given assignment. You should ask your

instructor if you have any questions about this.

Some types of sources tend to be scholarly, an article in a peer reviewed journal is highly likely to be

scholarly. Some types of sources tend to be non-scholarly or popular, newspaper articles and social

media posts are almost never scholarly. Still other types of sources are mixed, they may be scholarly or

not, a book might be scholarly, or it might be popular.

The tables below show whether certain source types are usually scholarly, usually popular, or mixed.

Remember: It is always your responsibility as a researcher to make sure your specific source is

appropriate for your specific project.

Source Types

Usually Scholarly Information from these source types is almost always scholarly and acceptable in academic work.

Source Type

Description Examples Information

Peer- Reviewed Journal

Scholarly journal articles officially and formally reviewed and approved by author’s peers (experts in the same subject) to ensure accuracy. Generally viewed as the most credible and reliable source of information.

Journal of Business Research American Educational Research Journal American Journal of Sociology Oxford Art Journal

Peer-reviewed, scholarly articles generally communicate new research findings and build on the work of previous scholarly work. Authors will cite/reference sources and provide evidence for their statements. Not all articles in a peer- reviewed journal are peer- reviewed, scholarly articles. There may also be book reviews and/or opinion pieces. Book reviews and opinion pieces are usually not acceptable for use in research papers/projects.

Non-Peer- Reviewed Journal

Scholarly journal articles written by experts in their fields to share new research and build on work previously done by scholars. Although not as viewed as highly as peer- reviewed journal articles, scholarly works are still seen as highly credible.

Elder Law Studies eJournal Focus Academia.edu* *Researchers post papers here that may eventually be peer-reviewed but are not peer-reviewed when posted. These papers should be used with caution as they may later be corrected or retracted.

Like with peer-reviewed articles, the authors will cite/reference their sources and provide evidence for their statements. The purpose of scholarly work is to provide a new entry in the scholarly discussion so the author will share new information and research. Not all articles in a scholarly journal are scholarly. You may also find book reviews and opinion pieces. Book reviews and opinion pieces are usually not acceptable for use in research papers/projects.

Source Types

Usually Popular Information from these source types is almost always not scholarly and is usually not acceptable in

academic work. Check with your instructor before using these types of sources.

Newspapers and magazines

These are newspapers and magazines (both print and online) and online news sites. While generally credible, the authors do not have the same level of expertise that the authors of scholarly and peer- reviewed sources have. However, you can often find more up-to-date information here because they do not go through such a lengthy editorial/review process.

CNN New York Times Washington Post Smithsonian Magazine ABC News local news stations/newspapers

These types of sources are often written immediately after an event but may be corrected later. They often rely on statements by witnesses as evidence. Depending on the research topic, it may be appropriate to use periodicals as sources for a research project. However, you should include scholarly sources as well. These sources should be evaluated carefully for appropriateness when used in a research project.

Organizational websites

Many professional and non- profit organizations host websites on which they provide significant amounts of information that may be helpful for research.

Society for Human Resources Management National Association for the Education of Young Children PEW Charitable Trusts

Although the information provided is not likely to be as in-depth as the information provided in scholarly articles, you may find useful and current information that is particularly relevant to your research topic. As with any popular source, it is especially important to evaluate the source for credibility and reliability. If you have questions about whether using information from an organization website is appropriate for your project, ask your instructor.

Blogs Blogs can be written by the mom down the street to record the challenges and triumphs of raising her children or they can be

Unredacted Library of Congress Blog Deeplinks

Blogs should be evaluated like any other popular source—on the basis of currency, relevance,

Source Types

written by well-known experts in their fields. They vary widely in their value for use as sources for research papers/projects so each must be evaluated individually.

authority, accuracy, and purpose (CRAAP).

Multi-media and social media

The internet offers information through a wide variety of multi-media and social media sources. This can include audio and video files and Twitter and Instagram posts. Each source should be evaluated individually for their value to your research project.

Seattle Science Fdtn @SeattleSciFdtn National Geographic @NatGeo State Testing Standards: How States Stack Up

These sources should be evaluated like any other popular source (using the CRAAP test). You may find that these sources can be used in your project or that they lead you to other sources that can be used in your project.

Reference works

These are encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries, atlases, handbooks, “research starters”, and other reference works. These are great places to do background research but they often are not acceptable sources for a research paper or project.

Credo Reference World Book Encyclopedia Research Starters

These sources provide a general overview of a topic but do not usually provide enough in-depth information for university- level work. They can give you some great ideas for search terms but you should often not use them as sources that you include in the final version of your paper or project.

Mixed Information from these source types may be scholarly or may be popular, it’s up to you to check.

Books Books written by experts in their field. Like journal articles, scholarly books will contain new findings/research and build on work by previous researchers. They will cite and reference sources. Scholarly books are viewed as highly credible.

Books do not go through the formal peer- review process but many are scholarly.

When looking for scholarly books, you should look for books that cite sources in the text and have a references list/bibliography at the end of each chapter or at the end of the book. Books published by academic presses (University of California Press, National

Source Types

Gallery of Art, Modern Language Association of America) are usually scholarly.

Think Tank Articles

Articles written by think tanks are often scholarly as they produce original research and new findings and they build on the work of previous researchers. However, many think tanks were created and are funded for a reason and that reason often has political implications, if it is not overtly political. It is often necessary to read a think tank’s mission statement and explore the website when considering if it is credible source on a topic.

Rand Corporation Brookings Institution Cato Institute Think tank articles are not peer-reviewed. However, it is best practice for the authors to solicit comments from their peers before the final version is published.

Overtly political think tanks may not be credible sources for a research paper or project. You should careful evaluate a think tank’s mission statement and website before making a decision about its appropriateness. If you have a question about whether a think tank article is appropriate for an assignment, ask your instructor.

Trade or industry publications

These are periodical publications (newsletters, magazines) aimed at professionals in specific professions, like teachers or computer coders. They written often written by practitioners of the profession but sometimes by journalists.

The New Social Worker Education Week Network Computing Family Business Review

The articles in these publications are not scholarly articles, although they may show up in a library search for scholarly/peer-reviewed articles. The articles are often short and focused on navigating common challenges and/or applying new methods or initiatives. Often, the authors write from personal experience rather than citing/referencing sources. These articles should be evaluated like other popular sources, using the CRAAP method.

Government websites

The federal, state, and local governments gather a significant amount of information, some of which is shared online.

United States Census Bureau Library of Congress Federal Bureau of Prisons National Archives FBI Records—the Vault Texas Education Agency

Federal, state, and local government websites are credible sources of information. They offer access to laws, regulations, demographics, statistics, and many other types of information. The information on these websites are often primary sources.