How Do I Evaluate Sources?

Popular

Scholarly

Articles about current events and popular culture, opinion pieces, fiction, self-help tips

Articles presenting original research or events related to a specific discipline

Who writes them?

Staff writers or free-lancers; names or credentials often not stated

Professors, researchers, or professionals; credentials are usually stated in article

Who reads them?

General public

Scholars (professors, researchers, students) knowledgeable about a specific discipline

What do they look like?

Glossy, color photographs, easy-to-read layout,
plenty of advertising

Mostly text supported by black and white figures, graphs, tables, or charts;
few advertisements

What are their advantages?

Written for non-specialists
Timely coverage of popular topics and current events
Provide broad overview of topics
Good source for topics related to popular culture

Articles are usually critically evaluated by experts before they can be published (peer-reviewed)
Footnotes or bibliographies support research and point to further research on a topic 
Authors describe methodology and supply data used to support research results

What are their disadvantages?  

Articles are selected by editors who may know very little about a topic
Authors usually do not cite sources
Published to make a profit; the line between informing and selling may be blurred

Articles often use technical jargon and can be difficult for non-specialists to read
Scholarly journals are expensive and may not be as readily available
Research and review process take time; not as useful for current events or popular culture