What is the difference between peer-reviewed and popular sources?

A scholarly (or academic) resource is one that is written by experts in the field for experts in the field. A popular resource is one that is written for the general public. Your local newspaper is a popular resource. Databases usually have some mechanism to search for only scholarly, or peer reviewed, articles.

What is the difference between peer-reviewed and popular articles?

Clues to determining if a citation is scholarly or popular

Scholarly articles are usually at least 5 pages, and often much longer. Popular articles may be only a page or two long. Scholarly articles always have a bibliography and/or footnotes. Look for a note that indicates footnotes or references.

What is the difference between a peer-reviewed source and a regular source?

Scholarly/peer-reviewed articles differ from other easily available print sources because the review process gives them more authority than, for example, a newspaper or magazine article. Newspaper or popular magazine articles are written by journalists (not specialists in any field except journalism).

How is peer review different from other sources?

Peer-reviewed (refereed or scholarly) journals - Articles are written by experts and are reviewed by several other experts in the field before the article is published in the journal in order to ensure the article's quality. (The article is more likely to be scientifically valid, reach reasonable conclusions, etc.)

What is the definition of popular source?

The term “popular,” in terms of sources, typically refers to general interest publications like newspapers and magazines. While not considered scholarly sources, some newspapers and magazines come from respected publications that can be used in certain assignments.

Scholarly and Popular Sources

What are some examples of a popular source?

Examples include general news, business and entertainment publications such as Time Magazine, Business Weekly, Vanity Fair. Note, special interest publications which are not specifically written for an academic audience are also considered "popular" i.e., National Geographic, Scientific American, Psychology Today.

How do you identify a popular source?

What is considered a peer-reviewed source?

The term scholarly typically means that the source has been “peer-reviewed,” which is a lengthy editing and review process performed by scholars in the field to check for quality and validity.

How do I know if a source is peer-reviewed?

There may be multiple versions of the same journal--print, online, and microfilm formats--but there also may be two different journals with the same title. Look to left of the title, and if you find a referee shirt icon, that means that the journal is peer-reviewed or refereed.

What is an example of peer-reviewed sources?

Examples of peer reviewed journals include: American Nurse Today, Journal of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, Journal of Higher Education, and many more. If your professor asks you to use only peer reviewed sources, most databases (such as EbscoHost) will allow you to limit to just peer reviewed.

What are three 3 main differences between scholarly and popular articles?

Articles in scholarly journals (also known as academic, peer-reviewed, or refereed journals) are different from articles in popular magazines for many reasons, including: the publication process, the authorship, the audience, and the purpose.

What is considered a popular article?

Popular magazine articles are typically written by journalists to entertain or inform a general audience, Scholarly articles are written by researchers or experts in a particular field. They use specialized vocabulary, have extensive citations, and are often peer-reviewed.

Why are peer-reviewed sources better?

Peer review has become the foundation of the scholarly publication system because it effectively subjects an author's work to the scrutiny of other experts in the field. Thus, it encourages authors to strive to produce high quality research that will advance the field.

Why is it important to read peer-reviewed articles vs popular articles?

Scholarly sources are not infallible, but their publication process includes many steps for verifying facts, for reducing political bias, and for identifying conflicts of interest (for instance, for informing readers when a drug company has funded research on its own product).

Are peer review articles the most credible source?

Peer reviewed articles are often considered the most reliable and reputable sources in that field of study. Peer reviewed articles have undergone review (hence the "peer-review") by fellow experts in that field, as well as an editorial review process.

What is the main difference between scholarly articles and peer-reviewed articles?

In short, “scholarly” means the article was written by an expert for an audience of other experts, researchers or students. “Peer-reviewed” takes it one step further and means the article was reviewed and critiqued by the author's peers who are experts in the same subject area.

Do all sources have to be peer-reviewed?

Not all scholarly articles are peer reviewed, although many people use these terms interchangeably. Peer review is an editorial process many scholarly journals use to ensure that the articles published in journals are high quality scholarship.

Which type of source is most likely to be peer-reviewed?

Scholarly publications (Journals)

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".

What are examples of sources that are not peer-reviewed?

Broadly speaking, a non peer reviewed source is anything that is NOT a peer reviewed journal article. A government publication, book or book chapter, a newspaper or magazine article, a website or blog post, a documentary film, or a document published by a government agency are all examples of non-peer reviewed sources.

What makes a popular source credible?

Authority: A credible and scholarly source is typically written by an expert in the field or by someone with a strong understanding of the topic. Look for sources that are written by professors, researchers, or other professionals who are recognized as experts in their field.

Where are popular sources found?

Articles in popular publications are those published in the general, mass media. The intended audience is the general public. They are magazines and newspapers that can be commonly found for sale at newsstands and supermarkets.

Who writes a popular source?

Popular sources are often written by journalists, though sometimes experts in a particular field will author an article for a popular publication like a newspaper or magazine. We can also consider blog posts, websites (yes, even “. org” and “. edu” websites), and social media posts popular sources.

Is a book a popular or scholarly source?

Books usually count as academic sources, but it depends on what kind of book. Textbooks, encyclopedias, and books published for commercial audiences often do not count as academic.

Can a book be a popular source?

Check to see if there are footnotes, endnotes, citations, and other types of references. If they are present and authentic, then the book is a scholarly source. If not, then it is merely popular.

Is a news website a popular source?

Popular sources include many magazines, newspapers, and websites. They are often eye-catching. These sources are geared toward a broad, general audience.