Science writing aims for clarity through precise language, as well as equations, tables, diagrams, and graphs over descriptive paragraphs. This can also make it dense and full of jargon. This page will help you determine the different types of scientific literature, including
Popular writing does not necessarily imply a lack of credibility, but it may not be appropriate for your paper. Popular articles are written for a general audience, while scholarly or peer-reviewed articles are written for an expert audience. The process of peer review includes rigorous critique of an article's methods, analysis, and conclusions by other experts in the field who offer anonymous feedback. This feedback provides the means to vet an article by multiple other scholars before it is published.
In a category by itself, grey literature consists of reports by government, non-profit, or for-profit organizations outside of the academic publishing industry. These can include government reports, white papers, and program evaluations. Grey literature can be a valuable and credible resource for your research, but has usually not undergone peer-review to scrutinize the science behind the report.
Systemic racism, sexism, and biased resource allocation affects research and marginalizes voices, including in STEM disciplines. Readers of scientific literature are encouraged to continue to ask "who is not represented in this work?"