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SKYCTC Learning Commons

English: Scholarly vs. Popular

Resources for English coursework. This guide is best viewed using Firefox, Chrome, or Safari.

Resources for Evaluating Scholarly, Popular, and Trade Resources

Which One is a Scholarly Source?

Look at the covers. Are they plain or eye-catching?

picture of Early Childhood Research Quarterly   cover of People magazine

Scholarly Source?
Early Childhood Research Quarterly: 238 votes (94.82%)
People: 13 votes (5.18%)
Total Votes: 251

Is This a Scholarly or Popular Source?

Is there an abstract (summary), charts or graphs, and references?

picture of article   

Scholarly or Popular?
Scholarly: 213 votes (93.01%)
Popular: 16 votes (6.99%)
Total Votes: 229

Which One Is a Popular Source?

Are the articles short or long?

cover of American Journal of Psychotherapy   cover of Time magazine

Popular Source?
American Journal of Psychotherapy: 45 votes (18%)
Time: 205 votes (82%)
Total Votes: 250