Scholarly vs. Popular vs. Trade
There are three main types of publications that you will encounter when conducting research. It is important to be able to distinguish between these three types of information sources so that you are using and citing sources that are appropriate to the type of research you are conducting.
Scholarly:
- Disseminate research and academic discussion among professionals in a discipline.
- Usually peer reviewed or refereed.
- Journals such as Psychology Bulletin or Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Popular:
- Inform and entertain the general public.
- Magazines likeTime or National Geographic.
Trade:
- Neither scholarly or popular sources.
- Written for professionals in a specific field to share news, trends, product reviews.
- Magazines such asChemistry World or Psychology Today.
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