Scholarly vs Popular Articles

FeaturePopular SourcesSemi-Academic SourcesAcademic Sources

Purpose

Entertain and inform a general audience

Inform with more depth than popular sources; not as detailed as academic

Advances scholarship with original research and in-depth analysis

Audience

General public; MYP Students

Interested non-experts; MYP Students

Scholars and researchers in the field; DP Students

Authors

Journalists

Journalists with subject expertise

Academics

Review Process

Editorial review

Editorial review

Peer Review

Language/Tone

Informal and accessible

More formal than popular sources, but less jargon than academic

Formal and technical, with discipline-specific jargon

Other

Ads

Ads

No Ads.

Publication Schedule

Daily, Weekly, Monthly

Daily, Weekly, Monthly

Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly

References

Rarely cite sources

May include some citations and references

Extensive citations and references

Examples

South China Morning Post, Teen Vogue

New Scientist, Psychology Today, The Economist

The Lancet, Nature,

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