popular versus scholarly
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GGC 1000 Paredes
Oct. 21, 2009
Adrienne [email protected]
B3035678-407-5129
Reference Desk: 678-407-5064
Popular Sources = Magazines/Newspapers
Scholarly Sources = Journals
Periodicals
Scholarly Resources:What's the difference?
Scholarly
Articles presenting original research or events related to a
specific discipline
Press
Popular
Articles about current events and popular culture, opinion pieces, fiction, self-help tips
What's in them?
Who writes them?
Who reads them?
What do they look like?
What are their advantages?
What are their disadvantages?
Scholarly Resources:What's the difference?
Scholarly
Professors, researchers, or professionals; credentials
are usually stated in article
Popular
Staff writers or free-lancers; names or credentials often
not stated
What's in them?
Who writes them?
Who reads them?
What do they look like?
What are their advantages?
What are their disadvantages?
Scholarly Resources:What's the difference?
Scholarly
Scholars (professors, researchers, students)
knowledgeable about a specific discipline
Popular
General PublicWhat's in them?
Who writes them?
Who reads them?
What do they look like?
What are their advantages?
What are their disadvantages?
Scholarly Resources:What's the difference?
Scholarly
Mostly text supported by black and white figures,
graphs, tables, or charts; few advertisements
Popular
Glossy, color photographs, easy-to-read layout, plenty of advertising
What's in them?
Who writes them?
Who reads them?
What do they look like?
What are their advantages?
What are their disadvantages?
Scholarly Resources:What's the difference?
Scholarly
Articles are usually critically evaluated by experts before they can be published (peer-
reviewed)
Footnotes or bibliographies support research and point to
further research on a topic
Authors describe methodology and supply data
used to support research results
Popular
Written for non-specialists
Timely coverage of popular topics and current events
Provide broad overview of topics
Good source for topics related to popular culture
What's in them?
Who writes them?
Who reads them?
What do they look like?
What are their advantages?
What are their disadvantages?
Scholarly Resources:What's the difference?
Scholarly
Articles often use technical jargon and can be difficult for non-specialists to read
Scholarly journals are expensive and may not be
as readily available
Research and review process take time; not as useful for current events
or popular culture
Popular
Articles are selected by editors who may know very
little about a topic
Authors usually do not cite sources
Published to make a profit; the line between informing and selling may be blurred
What's in them?
Who writes them?
Who reads them?
What do they look like?
What are their advantages?
What are their disadvantages?
AppearanceMagazines
AppearanceJournals
Things to look for in an electronic scholarly article
Author’s CredentialsStructureLanguageLength
Look for:
Credentials, such as a PhD. or university affiliation
There may also be a brief biography of the author(s)
John Q. Erudite,University of Indiana,
GarySamantha S. Inquestor, University of Transylvania
Look for:
The abstract is a one to three paragraph summarization of the main points and findings of the article
Abstract
Look for:
ReferencesCitationsWorks CitedBibliographyFootnotesEndnotes
Look for:
Specialized LanguageThere will often be specialized terminology or vocabulary showing that the author has in-depth knowledge of the subject
Look for:
The length of the article will also indicate whether or not it is scholarly.
"60 Seconds to Swine Flu Freedom." New Scientist 203.2726 (2009): 7. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 20 Oct. 2009.
"US Slashes Swine Flu Vaccine Estimate." Clinical Infectious Diseases 49.8 (2009): 18-43. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 20 Oct. 2009.
Popular MagazinesScholarly Journal Articles
Rarely has a list of references, usually does not give complete information about sources of information.
References / Bibliography
Always has a list of references or bibliography; sources of quotes and facts are cited and can be verified.
Informal organization: eye-catching type and formatting. Usually includes illustrations and photographs.
Appearance / Organization
Articles have a clearly-defined structure with an abstract, objective, methodology, analysis, results and conclusion. May include charts or graphs but rarely photographs or other illustrations
Vocabulary in general usage; understandable to most readers.
LanguageSpecialized terminology or jargon of the field; requires prior knowledge (or a good specialized dictionary!).
General public; the interested non-specialist.
AudienceOther scholars, researchers and students.
Author's name may or may not be given; often a professional writer; may or may not have expertise in the subject area.
AuthorUsually a scholar or researcher with expertise in the subject area; Author's credentials and/or affiliation are given.
Look for…