6.4 Popular, Professional, & Scholarly Sources

Considering Audience

We can also categorize information by the expertise of its intended audience. Considering the intended audience - how expert one has to be to understand the information - can indicate whether the source has sufficient credibility and thoroughness to meet your particular needs.

Popular Sources

Popular newspapers and magazines (such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, Teen Vogue, and Time) are meant for a large general audience, are generally affordable, and are easy to purchase or available for free. They are written by staff writers or reporters for the general public.

Additionally, they are:

  • About news, opinions, background information, and entertainment.
  • Eye-catching with attractive artwork, catchy titles, and many advertisements. They rarely contain any footnotes or references.
  • Published after approval from an editor.

Professional Sources

Trade magazines, or trade journals (such as Plastic Surgical Nursing, Music Teacher, and Food Management) are meant for people in a particular profession, and are often accessible through a professional organization. Staff writers or other professionals in the targeted field write these articles at a level and with the language to be understood by everyone in the profession.

Additionally, they are:

  • About trends, news, and case studies for a particular industry.
  • Often less than 10 pages, some of which may contain footnotes or references.
  • Published after approval from an editor.

Scholarly Sources

Scholarly journals (such as Journal of Latino/Latin American Studies, Journal of Educational Psychology, and Journal of Business Ethics) are meant for scholars, students, and those who want a deep understanding of a problem or issue. Researchers and scholars write these articles to present new knowledge and further understanding of their field of study.

Additionally, they are:

  • Where findings of research projects, data, analytics, and case studies usually appear first.
  • Often long (usually over 10 pages) and always include footnotes or references.
  • Published after approval by peer review or from the journal’s editor.

Video Summary

Watch the following 2-minute video for a brief summary of the difference between magazines and scholarly journals:

Additional viewing options: Turn on closed captions with the "CC" button, or use the text transcript if you prefer to read.

Text: Adapted from "Popular, Professional, & Scholarly" Links to an external site. by Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries, Links to an external site. licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site.

Images: "to [share] Links to an external site.," and "to [work] Links to an external site." by Carol Liao Links to an external site. are licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site.

Image: "to [learn] Links to an external site." by Shannon E Thomas Links to an external site. is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site.

"Magazines and Scholarly Journals Links to an external site.." YouTube, uploaded by UARKLIB, 26 Sept. 2008.