Scholarly sources are the best to use for a research paper or any college-level work. But how to distinguish between a scholarly source and a popular source? Hopefully these tips will help to clarify.
Scholarly Publications:
- Are written by scholars in a particular field, and present articles based on research in that field (rather than opinions).
- Are often peer-reviewed, where the content published has been vetted by a group of experts.
- Provide a list of references/sources used for article content.
- Article titles tend to be more specific and describe the content being discussed, i.e. "Early American Blown Glass."
- Publication titles tend to have the words 'journal,' 'bulletin,' or 'review,' among many others.
Popular Publications:
- Are written by journalists and staff writers for a general audience.
- Often have a great deal of advertising and may include opinions.
- Do not include references to other published works.
- Article titles tend to be witty and try to catch a reader's attention, i.e. "After the Scandal."
- Publication titles tend to be short and non-descriptive as to the content, such as including the word 'magazine,' or have simply a one-word title.
If you are asked to include only scholarly sources for your research paper or assignment, the best place to locate these types of sources is in the Proctor Library's databases. Feel free to ask a member of the Library staff if you aren't sure which databases might be the best ones to use for your topic, or if you are having any difficulty finding the types of sources that you need. We are here to help you!