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Spanish 327 - Magic and Horror in Latin America

Finding Scholarly Articles vs Popular (Non-Scholarly)

SCHOLARLY vs. POPULAR (NON-SCHOLARLY) SOURCES

When working on an Academic essay, paper or project, a very common requirement is the inclusion of "scholarly" sources or articles. Below is a quick overview of the differences. 

Here are some questions to ask as you evaluate the materials you find:

  • Who wrote the article and what authority or credentials do they have?
  • Who published the article and what is their publication process? 
  • When was this published?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • What references are cited and how are they documented? 
Scholarly Popular
Scholarly sources are academic or peer-reviewed journals. Non-scholarly sources include magazines and newspapers.
They are written by scholars and researchers, for other academics and experts. They are usually written by journalists, for a general audience
They are typically in-depth publications, using expert-level language and vocabulary They are usually a few pages long and written in plain vernacular.
They include lists of references or works cited, and often include charts, graphs, and other diagrams. usually don't include a list of sources, and often contain advertisements, photographs, or illustrations.

Infographic comparing scholarly and popular sources

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