Knowing the distinction between scholarly, popular, and trade sources is an important step for any student.  Using scholarly sources in your research ensures that your papers have academic merit and are backed by actual studies and work that has peer reviewed by professionals in the field.

Scholarly sources such as journals, academic books, and dissertations, undergo a formal evaluation process before publication. These sources may or may not be peer-reviewed depending on the journal they are published in.

Popular sources such as magazines, newspapers, and  do not typically go through the same review process as scholarly resources; in many cases, popular resources are reviewed by a single editor, who may or may not have expertise in the subject area. Popular sources are generally not considered to be scholarly or peer-reviewed.

Trade sources are written for those who work in a specific industry. These sources tend to publish news, statistics, trends, and other information relevant to their industry. Authors can be staff editors, journalists, practitioners, or academics in the field. They can be published by trade or professional associations. Articles or entries may be short and may not include references, or not nearly as many references as scholarly journal articles. Trade sources are generally not considered to be scholarly or peer-reviewed.

For more information, visit our scholarly, popular, and trade sources page.