| Characteristics | Scholarly Sources | Professional or Trade Sources | Popular Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examples | 
Journal of the American Medical Association Nature |
Education Week Supply and Demand Chain Executive Beverage Industry Magazine |
National Geographic Seattle Times Also: news broadcasts, online videos, social media, etc. |
| Audience | Scholars, researchers, and students | Other members of the profession or trade | General audience, all readers |
| Authors |
Scholars, researchers, and experts in the field of study Author's credentials in the field are established (e.g., institutional affiliation, maybe degrees) |
Members of the profession or trade, specialized journalists, or technical writers Credentials are usually not provided |
Reporters/journalists, usually not experts on the subject Authors may not have special qualifications for writing article; credentials are usually not provided For personal blogs and social media accounts, authors may include as much or as little information as they like |
| Bibliography/References |
Sources cited in footnotes and/or bibliography Usually extensive list of references |
Documentation of sources is not required, though sometimes brief bibliographies of further readings are included |
Sources are not cited or cited informally Often rely on quotes for experts or witnesses for evidence No reference list provided |
| Language and Writing Style | Field-specific language/jargon; requires reader to be previously informed about field | Include jargon and terms that are commonly used in the profession or trade | Written in everyday language accessible to any general reader |
| Purpose | To report results of original research, experimentation or analysis | Provide practical information for members of a profession or industry, including topics like news, trends, products, and research summaries |
Provide broad, general information and entertainment Secondary but not "original" research (the author didn't conduct the actual lab work, math, or theoretical analysis) |
| Appearance |
Dense text-based pages May contain complicated graphs or charts Usually will not include color glossy pages or photographs Very little advertising, if any |
Moderate number of advertisements targeted to the interests of the members of a profession, industry, or organization |
Attractive appearance (often colorful) Advertisements Heavily illustrated Generally short in length |