Scholarly Resources: What's the Difference?
Click a question to see the answer.
- What's in them?
- Who writes them?
- Who reads them?
- What do they look like?
- What are their advantages?
- What are their disadvantages?
| Scholarly | Popular |
Articles presenting original research or events related to a specific discipline
 |
Articles about current events and popular culture, opinion pieces, fiction, self-help tips
 |
Professors, researchers, or professionals; credentials are usually stated in article
 |
Staff writers or free-lancers; names or credentials often not stated  |
Scholars (professors, researchers, students) knowledgeable about a specific discipline |
General public |
Mostly text supported by black and white figures, graphs, tables, or charts; few advertisements |
Glossy, color photographs, easy-to-read layout, plenty of advertising |
|
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 |
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 |
|
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 |
Articles are selected by editors who may know very little about a topic Authors usually do not cite sources Published to make a profit; the line between informing and selling may be blurred |
