Think about what kind of information you're looking for. Where are you likely to find that information? Who knows about your topic? Whose expertise do you trust? You might find information in a variety of sources. Some sources will be more scholarly and aimed at an academic audience, while others will be more general and aimed at non-experts. All of these types of sources have different purposes and uses and can provide different insight for your research.
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.
| Popular Sources | Scholarly Sources | |
|---|---|---|
| Author/Audience | Written by journalists or freelance writers for a general audience. | Written by scholars or experts in the field for other scholars (including students) and experts. |
| Writing Style | Language is more general and simple, may explain key concepts and terms, does not assume the reader already has knowledge about the subject. | Language is more technical and complex, assumes the audience is familiar with key concepts and terms in the field. |
| Review/Editing Process | Reviewed by general editors. | Reviewed by experts or peer-reviewed. |
| Subject Matter | Often discuss current events and/or entertaining topics. One issue might cover many subject areas. | Report original research in a specific field of study. |
| Illustrations | Often have colorful photographs. | Often have charts and graphs showing data from a study. |
| Advertising | Have advertising, including for products and services that are unrelated to the article topic or field. | Has little or no advertising. Ads are typically for related journals, books, and conferences in the scholarly field. |
| Citations | Do not include citations or include few citations. Citations may be links to external sources and not in a formal citation style. |
Have both in-text citations and a works cited list, reference list, or bibliography at the end of the article. |
| Examples | Time Magazine, The New York Times, Business Weekly, Psychology Today | New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Geoscience, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Annual Review of Psychology |
Note: This section is about primary sources used in humanities fields. The sciences use the term "primary research" to talk about reports of original research. See our Biology Research Guide for more information about primary research sources in the sciences.
You might be asked to incorporate primary source material in your research. A primary source is a first-hand witness to a historical event or period, created at that point in history. This can include articles, interviews, photographs, memoirs, correspondence, diaries, government documents, and more. Primary sources can give valuable insight into what was happening at a specific point in history as it happened, rather than looking at it through a present day lens.
While we often talk about primary sources in the context of history, primary sources are being created every day! A social media post, a blog, a news article, the notes you take in class - all of these are primary sources. They reflect what is happening in the moment from the point of view of someone living in that moment.
You can find detailed information about finding and using primary sources in our Primary Source Guide.
A secondary source is a source that was created after an event took place by someone who did not experience it firsthand. They provide descriptions, explanations, or analyses of the event that took place. This includes books, biographies, articles, documentaries, and more. A secondary source can include citations and references to primary sources but will build off those sources to provide new analysis or information.
For example, a diary kept by a person emigrating to the United States about their journey and what they saw when they arrived in the country is a primary source about that experience. If that diary is then found by researchers and used to inform their study about immigrant experiences during the specific time period, the study they write about the diary is a secondary source. They are taking information from the primary source (the diary) and adding context and analysis.
Reference sources provide general overviews and background information about a topic. These include encyclopedias, dictionaries, indexes, handbooks, almanacs, and more. They are sources you refer to for information and may provide citations that lead you to more in-depth sources. When you are starting out a new topic, a reference source can help you understand the main ideas and concepts related to your topic as well as important dates, vocabulary, and basic facts.
For academic research, reference sources may be more helpful than a typical web search. These resources are curated for academic purposes and typically include citations and carefully edited information. They can also be focused on specific topics and will provide information relevant to study in that topic.