LibAnswers

Scholarly Sources

A scholarly publication contains articles written by experts in a particular field.  The primary audience of these articles is other experts.  These articles generally report on original research or case studies.  Many of these publications are "peer reviewed" or "refereed".  This means that scholars in the same field review the research and findings before the article is published.  Articles in scholarly publications, in most cases:

• are written by and for faculty, researchers, or other experts in a field
• use scholarly or technical language
• include a full bibliography of sources cited in the article
• are often peer reviewed (refereed)

Non-Scholarly Sources

A non-scholarly (or “popular” publication can help to introduce you to a topic and show how that topic is being discussed in society.  Articles in popular sources, in most cases:

• are written by journalists or professional writers for a general audience
• written in a language that is easy to understand by the general public
• rarely have a bibliography - rather, they are fact-checked through the editorial process of the publication they appear in
• don't assume prior knowledge of a subject area - for this reason, they are often very helpful to read if you don't know a lot about your subject area yet
• may contain an argument, opinion, or analysis of an issue