Scholarly Vs. Popular Sources

Introduction

In this module, you will build on your previous knowledge by exploring differences between academic and non-academic writing in more detail. By the end of this module, you will be able to identify and classify sources as either academic or non-academic, identify the differences between scholarly and popular texts, and identify peer-reviewed articles on Georgian College’s database.

Note: For the purposes of this guide, “scholarly sources” refers to articles in peer-reviewed, academic journals. The terms “scholarly journal”, “academic journal”, and “peer-reviewed journal” are all synonymous and interchangeable. Similarly, non-academic and popular are also synonymous and refer, in large part, to articles found in magazines and newspapers.

Learning Objectives

• Differentiate between academic/scholarly and non-academic/popular writing conventions.
• Identify sources as either non-academic/popular or academic/scholarly.
• Identify peer reviewed articles on Georgian College’s library site.

To Do List

• Read the information on Scholarly vs. Popular and make notes on the key differences for content, purpose, author, audience, review, citations, frequency and ads.
• Watch the video, Scholarly vs. Popular Sources of Information, and take note of the differences for author, audience, visual appearance, length, language, content, and recommended for.
• Watch the video, What on Earth Does Peer Reviewed Mean anyway? Explore Georgian’s Research Guides and Help Guide
• Read the article, How to Find Academic Resources
• Complete the Sources assignment in Blackboard.

Attribution

Except where otherwise noted, “Scholarly Vs. Popular Sources” by Academic and Career Prep, Georgian College, is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.