Popular Sources: Characteristics

Here are a few common characteristics of popular sources:

They're written for the general public.
They're written by editors, journalists, and other professional writers who have no specific training in the subject matter.
They usually don't cite sources.
Since they're not written by experts and don't cite sources, popular sources are not the best choice for most academic purposes.
- Note: Popular sources are not necesarily inaccurate. The authorship, level of writing, and ways that articles are chosen for publication are what make a source popular.

View a chart that compares scholarly and popular sources.

Examples of Popular Sources:

Website: Yahoo! Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance)
Journal in print in the libraries: Time (available in the libraries)
Journal in a database: People (available in ProQuest Newsstand database)
Book: The 9 Steps to Finacial Freedom: Practical & Spiritual Steps so You can Stop Worrying by Suze Orman (available from the libraries)
E-book: What I Learned in Medical School: Personal Stories of Young Doctors by Kevin M. Takakuwa, Nick Rubashkin, and Karen E. Herzig (available from the libraries)

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Wednesday September 24, 2008