Definition
Scholarly Source
A scholarly source is written by an expert or experts in the field and is intended for a specialized audience. In essence it uses discipline specific methodology, terminology and theory to discuss and analyze original research. Scholarly sources are usually found in specialized publications such as scholarly journals and academic books, they are mostly accessible through libraries and online databases and often contain very specialized information. Scholarly sources are written by researchers and scholars, so people like professors who are affiliated with academic or research institutions.They aim to present and share original research with other researchers and scholars, and they often contain technical jargon and specialized vocabulary. Finally, scholarly sources are usually connected to other scholarly work, so it’s essential that the authors document the resources they used in their own research.
In brief,
- written by experts for a specialized audience
- discusses or analyzes original research
- contain technical jargon and disciplione specific vocabularly
- cite and document resources used
- usually published in a peer reviewed journal or an edited academic book
Popular Sources
These resources are readily available and can be consumed in quick doses and are usually written by journalists and other freelance writers, who may not be specialists in the topics they’re writing about. Popular sources are usually written to inform, entertain or persuade the general public, so they tend to use everyday language accessible to all types of readers and don’t usually include a list of references, even if they might refer to the resources they used indirectly.
In brief,
- written for a general audience
- use accessible everyday language
- written by a journalist or freelance writer