Writing Your Paper

Scholarly vs. Popular Sources

Definitions

In academic research considerable emphasis is placed upon scholarship and using scholarly materials. You may also see the terms peer reviewed or refereed used to describe scholarly materials.

When evaluating research papers, instructors look for evidence of scholarship. They are looking to see if you have carried out a review of the literature, engaged in a thoughtful analysis of the issues with matching conclusions and supporting documentation, and selected the materials that are worth considering for inclusion in the bibliography of your paper.

It can be difficult to distinguish between various levels of scholarship and decide what material is worth considering as reference material for your paper.

Non-scholarly work is often work which is based on personal opinion and/or is unsubstantiated. There is usually no supporting documentation such as a review of the exisiting literature or a bibliography of works consulted.

There are different levels of non-scholarly material: general interest, popular and sensational. Instructors may consider your work non-scholarly if you have based you entire paper on opinion pieces such as might be found in a newspaper or popular magazine.

NOTE: In academic research there is a clear preference for scholarly material. However there is also a role for non-scholarly material since it often reflects contemporary thought and is popular.

When writing a research paper, the trick is to find an acceptable balance between the two types of material and know how to use each appropriately. In some cases, there may be little scholarly material on a given topic. If you use sources such a newspapers or popular magazines, clearly point out that your information reflects a "commonly accepted position" but is "difficult to verify or refute". Read on for examples of scholarly and non-scholarly materials.

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Scholarly Materials

The following are some of the characteristics of scholarly publications:

• always include references to their sources, either in footnotes or bibliographies;
• written by a someone with expertise or who has done considerable research in the field;
• usually affiliated with or sponsored by a specific professional association;
• usually contain a review of the published literature to date;
• usually attempt to advance knowledge in a particular field;
• assume that the reader has some knowledge of the discipline and contain language that reflects that assumption.

The following are some examples of scholarly journals:

• Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology
• Child Study Journal
• Essays in Criticism
• Families in Society
• Review of English Studies
• Shakespeare Quarterly

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Popular Materials

The following are some of the characteristics of general interest and popular publications:

• sometimes include references to their sources, but most often do not;
• no designated author, can be written by a scholar, free lance writer or editor;
• usually published by a commercial publisher;
• usually do not contain a review of the published literature to date and information can often be second or third hand;
• usually someone's opinion on a contemporary issue;
• attempt to inform/entertain a wide audience on topics of general interest.

The following are some examples of general interest and popular periodicals:

• Discover
• Economist
• Macleans
• National Geographic
• Psychology Today
• Sports Illustrated
• Scientific American
• Time

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Finding Scholarly Materials

Some databases, such as ABI/INFORM, Academic Search Premier, and Expanded Academic ASAP, provide the option to limit searches to scholarly publications.

Ulrich's is another source you can use to verify the scholarly nature of a journal title. Ulrich's is an international periodicals directory which lists scholarly, or refereed, journal titles.

Evaluation Checklist

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