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ENWR 110: Okan

What Are Scholarly Sources?

Scholarly sources are written by scholars or researchers in a given field for other researchers and students in that field. They are typically published in scholarly journals. Scholarly articles can differ in structure across different disciplines, but there are some commonalities across all. 

  1. Published in a scholarly journal - if you are unsure if a journal is scholarly, just google it. You can always reach out to a librarian or your professor if you need help.
  2. Author - the author will be affiliated with a college or university and this should be listed somewhere in the article.
  3. References - a scholarly journal will include in-text citations and a list of references at the end of the article.

 

What Are Popular Sources?

A popular sources is a source written for the general public. They are published in newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc. Keep in mind that professors can write for these publications, so looking at just author affiliation isn't enough to determine if a source is scholarly.

Grey Areas

Professional publications can be a grey area between scholarly and popular sources. Check-in with your professor or a librarian if you are unsure how to count a source.