Scholarly Articles and Popular Sources: What’s the Difference?

Scholarly Popular
Cover of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology  photo of magazines at a news stand.
What’s in them?  

Articles presenting original research or events related to a specific discipline.

  

 

Articles about current events and popular culture, opinion pieces, fiction, self-help tips.

 
Who writes them? Professors, researchers, or professionals; credentials are usually stated in article. Staff writers or free-lancers; names or credentials often not stated.
Who reads them? Scholars (professors, researchers, students) knowledgeable about a specific discipline. General public.
What do they look like? Mostly text supported by black and white figures, graphs, tables, or charts; few advertisements. Glossy, color photographs, easy-to-read layout, plenty of advertising.
What are their advantages? 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.
What are their disadvantages? 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Authors usually do not cite sources.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.