Popular versus Scholarly Sources
- Popular sources are written to inform or entertain the general public.
- Scholarly sources are written by academics and other experts to contribute knowledge in a particular field by sharing new research findings, theories, analyses, insights, news, or summaries of current knowledge.
* Scholarly sources can be either primary or secondary literature.
NOTE: There is sometimes a difference between scholarly articles and scholarly peer-reviewed articles (although many people use these terms interchangeably). All peer-reviewed sources are scholarly, but not all scholarly sources are peer-reviewed. Peer review refers to the editorial process many scholarly journals use to ensure that the articles published in journals are high quality.
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Literature
- Primary sources are original, first-hand materials that provide evidence of an event, study, or topic. Primary sources in scientific fields describe original research, such as clinical trials. Primary sources in the humanities include works of literature, letters, journals, photographs or other artifacts. Primary literature is considered a scholarly source.
- Secondary sources discuss, interpret, analyze, summarize, or comment on a primary or secondary source. Secondary literature can be a scholarly or popular source.
- Tertiary sources are sometimes confused with secondary sources because they provide an overview of key research findings. However, tertiary sources provide a summary or consolidation of information in a factual not analytical or interpretive way. Tertiary sources introduce principles and practices within the discipline. Examples include textbooks, encyclopedia articles, guidebooks, or handbooks. Tertiary literature is usually a popular source.