| |
Scholarly |
Trade/Professional |
Popular |
| Creator |
Experts (with experience or academic degrees) |
Subject-specific writers and professionals |
Journalists, anyone |
| Purpose |
Creating knowledge |
Sharing information |
Entertainment |
| Audience |
Scholars, students, and researchers |
Professionals and those interested in the field |
General public |
| Formats |
Journal articles and books are most common |
Trade journals, professional magazines, professional association websites |
Newspaper articles, other online articles and posts |
| Length and Content |
Longer and focus on very specific and narrow topics |
Short to mid length, middle-level specificity |
Short and general |
| Sources |
Provides sources formally with citations |
Sometimes sources are mentioned, but rarely are they formally cited |
Rarely are sources mentioned or cited formally |
| Pros |
Likely to be reliable and credible, very in-depth and detailed |
Tends to contain information about things affecting practicing professionals, not too complicated |
Can be more up-to-date about current events, can provide a brief overview |
| Cons |
Very detailed and specific, use technical jargon |
Doesn't contain original research or knowledge, not as in-depth |
Not as reliable, doesn't provide contextual information |
| Examples |
Strategic Management Journal, Information Systems Research |
Advertising Age, Bloomberg Businessweek |
Wired, Forbes |
If you're ever unsure what type of source you have, Ask Us!
