Articles published in magazines and newspapers are generally considered popular sources, in contrast to the scholarly sources published in academic, peer-reviewed journals. While assignments may require that you cite scholarly resources, popular sources can also play a role in your quest for information. Popular sources may be a good choice in the following situations:
- You need to understand a complex topic. Popular articles are generally written for a non-specialized audience and will explain a topic using easy-to-understand, jargon-free language.
- You need information on current research. Articles in scholarly journals go through a lengthy review and editing process before publication, so it can take awhile for current research to make its way to the scholarly literature. That's why popular sources are a good way of staying abreast of current research and developments in your field of study.
- You want to read opinions on an issue. Reading various viewpoints on a topic can provide insight into how people perceive and interpret an issue.