How do I tell the difference between popular and scholarly sources?

Popular sources (e.g. magazines or newspapers)

are often written by journalists or professional writers for the average reader.
rarely give full citations for sources.
are written for the general public.
tend to be shorter.

Scholarly sources (e.g. journals)

are written by and for faculty, researchers and other experts in a field (like chemists, historians, doctors, or artists).
use scholarly or technical language.
tend to consist of longer articles about research.
include full citations for sources.
are reviewed by multiple specialists/experts in the field of study before being accepted

Note: Book reviews and editorials are not considered scholarly articles, even when found in scholarly journals.

Learn More

Try our interactive tutorial: Popular vs Scholarly Sources to learn more about these differences.

Popular sources (e.g. magazines or newspapers)

are often written by journalists or professional writers for the average reader.
rarely give full citations for sources.
are written for the general public.
tend to be shorter.

Scholarly sources (e.g. journals)

are written by and for faculty, researchers and other experts in a field (like chemists, historians, doctors, or artists).
use scholarly or technical language.
tend to consist of longer articles about research.
include full citations for sources.
are reviewed by multiple specialists/experts in the field of study before being accepted

Note: Book reviews and editorials are not considered scholarly articles, even when found in scholarly journals.