Scholarly and popular sources are two types of sources you may find and use in your research. They have different characteristics and purposes that will be reviewed in this section.
A scholarly or peer-reviewed source has been written by an expert in the subject (ex., a professor or other researcher), and has been reviewed and approved by a group of other experts (their peers). It is written for an academic audience and will usually present original research in a specific field. The NC State Libraries provide an interactive diagram of a scholarly article that you can view to see the different components. An example of a scholarly source is a research study published in an academic journal.
A popular source is written for a wider, more general audience, and may provide a more broad overview of a topic. The author is not necessarily an expert in the specific subject and is usually a general journalist or freelance writer. These articles do not go through peer review and may be edited by a single editor or editorial board. An example of a popular source is an article in a magazine.
The chart below goes into more detail about how to distinguish between these two types of sources.
| Scholarly Sources | Popular Sources | |
|---|---|---|
| Author/Audience | Written by scholars or experts in the field for other scholars (including students) and experts | Written by journalists or freelance writers for a general audience |
| Writing Style | Language is more technical and complex, assumes the audience is familiar with key concepts and terms in the field | Language is more general and simple, may explain key concepts and terms, does not assume the reader already has knowledge about the subject |
| Review/Editing Process | Reviewed by experts or peer-reviewed | Reviewed by general editors |
| Subject Matter | Often report original research in a specific field of study | Often discuss current events and/or entertaining topics. One issue might cover many subject areas. |
| Illustrations | Often have charts and graphs showing data from a study | Often have colorful photographs |
| Advertising | Has little or no advertising. Ads are typically for related journals, books, and conferences in the scholarly field. | Has advertising, including for products and services that are unrelated to the article topic or field |
| Citations | Have both in-text citations and a works cited list, reference list, or bibliography at the end of the article |
Do not include citations or include few citations. Citations may be links to external sources and not in a formal citation style. |
| Examples | New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Geoscience, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Annual Review of Psychology | Time Magazine, The New York Times, Business Weekly, Psychology Today |
Empirical sources are research articles that report the results of a study using data from actual observation or experimentation. Empirical articles typically include different sections related to the scientific method:
Review articles, also called literature reviews, systematic reviews, or scoping reviews, are further examinations of research that has already been published. A research review can describe a phenomenon, review an existing theory or present a new one. Whatever the kind of review, the goal is to organize, integrate, and evaluate previous research in order to clarify a particular problem or issue.
Theoretical articles are written to advance theory and they may include both empirical research and a review of research in order to elaborate the theoretical position.
When conducting research, you may be asked to find peer reviewed sources. Peer review is a process used by many academic journals to make sure they publish high quality research that has been vetted by experts. In peer review, researchers submit their manuscript to an academic journal for publishing. The journal editor then sends that article to a group of reviewers who are experts in the field. Those reviewers read the draft and look critically at things like the research methods, the structure of the manuscript, the quality of the research, and whether it is a good fit for the journal. Reviewers send feedback to the original researchers who can then edit the draft based on that feedback. At the end of this process, the reviewers recommend to the journal editor if the article should be published or rejected and the journal editor makes a decision based on the reviewers' feedback.
Peer review is not necessarily going to confirm that an article or study is factual or correct. Reviewers aren't reviewing for accuracy, but are checking that the methodology is sound and the conclusions are logical based on the information the author(s) provided. Journals use this process as a sort of quality control for what they publish - by having multiple experts look at a manuscript, they can filter out research that doesn't meet a journal's standards.