Knowledge Builders

what is a popular source

by Theresa Breitenberg Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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A popular source:

  • Is a publication, such as a newspaper or magazine that you could buy in a grocery store
  • Is often illustrated with colorful pictures and advertisements. ...
  • Uses language that is easily understood by general readers and is written for the public
  • Rarely gives full citations for sources, though sources may be quoted
  • Is usually shorter than journal articles

Popular sources -- intended for a general audience of readers, they are written typically to entertain, inform, or persuade. Popular sources help you answer who, what, when, and where questions and are essential for finding information about current events or issues.

Full Answer

What are some examples of popular sources?

Some examples of primary source formats include:

  • archives and manuscript material
  • photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, films
  • journals, letters and diaries
  • speeches
  • scrapbooks
  • published books, newspapers and magazine clippings published at the time
  • government publications
  • oral histories
  • records of organizations
  • autobiographies and memoirs

More items...

What are scholarly and popular sources?

Popular sources - magazines, newspapers, broadcast news, blogs, etc. - inform and entertain the general public. Trade publications are a combination of scholarly and popular sources that professionals in specific industries use to inform and share information about that industry with one another and those interested in the industry.

What does popular source mean?

Scholarly or popular sources. "Scholarly" or "popular" are terms used to describe a source's content, purpose, audience, appearance, citations and more. Popular sources are useful for getting ideas for a topic or for background and anecdotal information. Typically, however, you should support your arguments by citing scholarly articles, which contain original research written by experts and do not contain glossy pages or advertisements.

What is considered a non scholarly source?

A non-*scholarly source is one that is written by someone who ... factual information and can be considered good sources for your research, and may be helpful in giving you an overview of your topic’s background. Editors write most of the articles ...

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What is an example of a popular source?

Popular (also called non-scholarly) sources inform and entertain the public or allow practitioners to share industry, practice, and production information Examples: Newspapers, magazines, trade journals, popular books.

What are popular sources in research?

The term “popular”, in terms of sources, typically refers to general interest publications like newspapers and magazines. While not considered scholarly sources, some newspapers and magazines come from respected publications that can be used in certain assignments.

What makes a source a popular source?

A popular source: Is many times written by journalists or professional writers for a general audience. Uses language that is easily understood by general readers and is written for the public. Rarely gives full citations for sources, though sources may be quoted. Is usually shorter than journal articles.

How do you identify a popular source?

Popular sources:general interest stories which may refer to research but do not contain original research.written by the general public.are not peer-reviewed.rarely include citations.tend to be shorter, about 200 words to a few pages.

What is the difference between a popular and scholarly source?

A scholarly (or academic) resource is one that is written by experts in the field for experts in the field. A popular resource is one that is written for the general public. Your local newspaper is a popular resource. Databases usually have some mechanism to search for only scholarly, or peer reviewed, articles.

How do you tell if a source is scholarly or popular?

How Do I Decide if a Source is Scholarly?Are written by and for faculty, researchers or scholars.Use the language of the discipline.Are often refereed or peer reviewed by specialists before being accepted for publication.Include full citations for sources.More items...

What are 5 differences between a popular and scholarly source?

Popular vs. ScholarlyPOPULARSCHOLARLYPresented to entertain, promote point of view, and/or sell productsIntended to present researchers' findings and conclusions based on original researchExamples: Newsweek, Rolling Stone, VogueExamples: American Sociological Review, Journal of Popular Culture, Sustainable Agriculture8 more rows•Mar 9, 2022

What is a popular article?

A popular magazine has articles written for the general public. They use easily-understood language and the articles tend to be short.

What are the 5 sources of information?

5. Sources of InformationTV/Radio.Print media.Internet.Social Media.

Is a blog a popular source?

Blogging has become extremely popular and there seems to be a blog on every subject under the sun, so it is entirely possible that there is a blog out there relating to your research topic. In general, blogs should not be considered a reliable scholarly source.

What is the difference between a professional and popular source?

Professional or trade sources are written by and for professionals or practitioners in a particular field or discipline, but are not strictly research related. Popular sources can be written by almost anyone, from freelance journalists to experts, but are always meant to appeal to a general audience.

What is a popular press source?

Popular press sources are magazines, newspapers, and books intended to inform or entertain general audiences. They sometimes feature lavish illustrations, rarely include citations, and often include advertisements. Author, Audience, Purpose.

What are the 5 sources of research topic?

With that said, below are five sources of a research problem:Interviews. Interviews sessions can be significant sources of research problems. ... Personal Experiences. Your everyday experiences are a good source of research problem. ... Deductions from Theory. ... Interdisciplinary Perspective. ... Relevant Literature.

What are the 5 sources of information?

5. Sources of InformationTV/Radio.Print media.Internet.Social Media.

What are the 3 types of information sources?

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources.

What is a popular publication?

Magazines like Newsweek and Time, newspapers like the Orlando Sentinel, and books like an unofficial Michael Jackson biography are examples of popular publications. A popular publication will contain language easily understood by a general audience.

What is a Popular Source?

When we say that a source is “popular,” it does not necessarily mean “well liked.”

Is popular content free?

Sometimes popular sources are freely available to the public, and sometimes the content is available only with a paid subscription.

What can popular articles provide?

While they are not scholarly, popular articles from respected publications can provide excellent background information as well as stories, opinion pieces, images, and more personal points of view on a topic. These can help bring life and interest to your research project.

Why is it important to use reliable sources?

While researching a topic, it is important to use reliable sources. Often we use scholarly articles, which sometimes present research and information directly from the source. However, we can also use reliable popular articles to find good information on a topic. Popular articles can be found in general interest publications like newspaper and magazines. While they are not scholarly, popular articles from respected publications can provide excellent background information as well as stories, opinion pieces, images, and more personal points of view on a topic. These can help bring life and interest to your research project.

How to find full text of a newspaper?

Type your keywords into the search boxes and click “Search”. Limit your search to “Magazines” and “Newspapers” under “Source Types” in the left bar. Select an article title to read the full article, or select the “Find It” button to find the full text.

How to search for a library in Madison?

From the UW-Madison Libraries homepage, select “Catalog” menu on the left side of the page, above the search box. This will open a drop-down menu. Select “Databases” from the drop-down menu. Select “Academic Search”. Select “View Online”. Type your keywords into the search boxes and click “Search”.

What type of sources are used in a course assignment?

Many of the assignments for your courses may ask you to use specific sources or types of sources such as popular magazine articles or scholarly or professional journal articles . There are some basic ways that you can identify these types of periodicals.

What is a highly visual article?

Highly visual, a lot of advertising, color, photos, short articles with no bibliographies or references. Visual, contains advertising, color, photos, Little or no advertising, has tables & charts, high concentration of print, lengthy articles, bibliographies & references. Authors.

What is a popular source?

Popular sources are useful for getting ideas for a topic or for background and anecdotal information.

How to support your argument?

Typically, however, you should support your arguments by citing scholarly articles, which contain original research written by experts and do not contain glossy pages or advertisements. Ask your instructor if you're unsure about citing a source.

Can you limit your research to scholarly sources?

Many article databases allow you to limit your results to scholarly sources.

What are Scholarly Sources?

Scholarly sources are those that have been approved by a group with recognized expertise in the field under discussion. Books published by University Presses fall into this category, as do articles published in peer-reviewed journals—journals where the editors send pieces out to be read by experts in the field before deciding to publish them. The Yale library subscribes to several databases that specialize in scholarly sources (such as Academic Search Premier). See Databases for more information. If you use sources for facts or ideas in your writing, some research projects will demand that you rely heavily if not exclusively on scholarly sources. Scholarly sources are not infallible, but their publication process includes many steps for verifying facts, for reducing political bias, and for identifying conflicts of interest (for instance, for informing readers when a drug company has funded research on its own product).

Do newspapers have to be scholarly?

Newspapers are not as easy to classify as other sources. Newspapers are not scholarly sources, but some would not properly be termed popular, either. Every source must be questioned for its stake in the material.

Is the Internet more reliable than print?

Finally, it’s worth noting that many Internet sources are less reliable than print sources. Because it’s relatively inexpensive to put material on the Web (when compared to the cost of print publication), it’s easy for private individuals to post their unverified opinions on websites.

Is Discover more authoritative than a general news magazine?

Some magazines—like Discover — are more authoritative than a general news magazine but less authoritative than a scholarly journal. In the sciences, studies done by interested parties would normally not be accepted uncritically (such as pollution studies commissioned by chemical companies).

Is a scholar's source infallible?

Scholarly sources are not infallible, but their publication process includes many steps for verifying facts, for reducing political bias, and for identifying conflicts of interest (for instance, for informing readers when a drug company has funded research on its own product). In a narrow sense, every other source could be called a popular source.

Does Yale have a database?

The Yale library subscribes to several databases that specialize in scholarly sources (such as Academic Search Premier). See Databases for more information. If you use sources for facts or ideas in your writing, some research projects will demand that you rely heavily if not exclusively on scholarly sources.

What is tertiary source?

Tertiary Sources refer to encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks and other reference materials that provide broad overviews of particular topics. Where secondary sources summarize and interpret an event or phenomenon, tertiary sources summarize and interpret other resources.

What is government publication?

Government Publications are a subset of grey literature, and can be important sources for state, federal, and international perspectives on official government proceedings of all kinds. For more information on the many varieties of government documents, consult the library's Government Information guides.

What are some examples of generalists?

Examples: Journal of Asian History, New England Journal of Medicine, Chemical Reviews, Educational Psychologist ; books from University presses such as Oxford University Press and the University of California Press.

What is scholarly source?

Scholarly sources -- intended for use in support of conducting in-depth research, often containing specialized vocabulary and extensive references to sources. The content has been reviewed by academic peers to ensure the reliability of methods used and the validity of findings.

What are the different types of publications?

There are three types of publications that may appear in the search results of many social and behavioral sciences databases. These are: 1 Scholarly sources -- intended for use in support of conducting in-depth research, often containing specialized vocabulary and extensive references to sources. The content has been reviewed by academic peers to ensure the reliability of methods used and the validity of findings. Scholarly sources help answer the "So What?" question in academic writing and lay the foundation for discovering connections between variables, issues, or events. 2 Popular sources -- intended for a general audience of readers, they are written typically to entertain, inform, or persuade. Popular sources help you answer who, what, when, and where questions and are essential for finding information about current events or issues. Popular sources range from research-oriented [but lacking complete citations to sources] to special interest, agenda-driven publications. 3 Trade publications -- intended to share general news, trends, and opinions among practitioners in a certain industry or profession. Although generally written by experts, they are not considered scholarly because they are not peer-reviewed and do not focus on advancing new knowledge discovery or reporting research results. Trade journals, however, are an essential source of information in the field of business and specialized industries [e.g., tourism, environmental studies, agriculture, manufacturing, etc.].

What is a popular press article?

What are "popular press articles" and how can I find them? The term "popular press" refers to material written for the general public. This is opposed to scholarly material written for an academic or research audience, or trade material written for an industry audience.

What is the Proquest Central database?

The ProQuest Central database is one place to find popular press materials.

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What Is A Popular Source?

  • When we say that a source is “popular,” it does not necessarily mean “well liked.” Popular sources are articles that are written for a general audience. These sources are published so that members of the general public can access, read and understand the content. There is little jargon or highly specific or technical vocabulary. Sometimes popular s...
See more on pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu

Reading Newspaper Articles, Magazine Articles, and Website Articles

  • “Fake news!” “Media bias!” We hear charges like these often, mostly in reference to the types of popular sources that we can find on the internet, on TV, on the radio, or in print. We should not be tempted to write off all popular sources as somehow “bad.” We should, however, be willing to evaluate any popular source’s authority and credibility before choosing to accept its validity or c…
See more on pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu

Understand The Context

  • Publisher. Who published this article? Remember that a publisher is not always the same as the author of a particular text. Does the publishing source cater to a particular audience? Does the publisher have some sort of ideological identity or bias? A bit of research on who published the article you are looking at (which newspaper. magazine, website, or organization) can give you so…
See more on pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu

1.What is a Popular Source? - Choose and Evaluate …

Url:https://guides.norwich.edu/online/evaluating/popular

17 hours ago Newspapers are considered to be one of the most popular sources of information today. Daily newspapers are essential for getting up-to-date news, and they often have special sections for sports, weather, comics, etc. Magazines are another common source of information. They …

2.10.2 Reading Popular Sources - Cleveland State University

Url:https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/csu-fyw-rhetoric/chapter/evaluating-newspaper-and-magazine-articles/

35 hours ago  · Norwich University. Kreitzberg Library. Kreitzberg Library for CGCS Students. Choose and Evaluate Sources. What is a Popular Source?

3.Using Popular Sources | UW-Madison Libraries

Url:https://www.library.wisc.edu/help/research-tips-tricks/using-popular-sources/

10 hours ago “Popular source” does not mean how many times a source has been clicked, liked, or cited. The term “popular”, in terms of sources, typically refers to general interest publications like …

4.How do I find popular sources? What are characteristics …

Url:https://askus.library.wwu.edu/faq/116775

20 hours ago  · Popular sources tend to be the type of source many of us are most familiar with, including news articles, magazines, and much of the content found on Internet sites. Here is a …

5.Scholarly or popular sources - University of Victoria

Url:https://www.uvic.ca/library/help/tips/scholvpop/index.php

17 hours ago Popular sources: general interest stories which may refer to research but do not contain original research written by the general public are not peer-reviewed rarely include citations tend to be …

6.Scholarly vs. Popular Sources | Poorvu Center for …

Url:https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/undergraduates/using-sources/principles-citing-sources/scholarly-vs-popular-sources

7 hours ago In a narrow sense, every other source could be called a popular source. But this does not mean that all popular sources are of equal reliability. Nor does it mean that you should use only …

7.Library Guides: Evaluating Resources: Scholarly & Popular …

Url:https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/c.php?g=83917&p=3747680

31 hours ago 10 rows ·  · They can be a great place to begin studying unfamiliar topics. To find tertiary sources, take a ...

8.Scholarly vs. Popular Publications - Organizing Your …

Url:https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/scholarly

17 hours ago  · These are: Scholarly sources -- intended for use in support of conducting in-depth research, often containing specialized... Popular sources -- intended for a general audience of …

9.What are "popular press articles" and how can I find them?

Url:https://academicanswers.waldenu.edu/faq/72688

11 hours ago The term "popular press" refers to material written for the general public. This is opposed to scholarly material written for an academic or research audience, or trade material written for …

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