Primary Sources are works that contain firsthand information or original data on a topic, such as:
Secondary Sources are works that are one step removed from the primary source that summarize or evaluate the primary source, such as:
| Scholarly | Popular | |
| Format | Journals | Magazines, newspapers |
| Content | Original research and inquiry | General interest stories and opinion pieces; may discuss research studies, but do not contain original research |
| Purpose | Share research to expand knowledge base in a discipline |
Share news, general information, and entertainment; for profit |
| Audience | Professors, researchers, professionals, experts, students | General public |
| Author | Experts in the field. Name, credentials, and affiliations are provided. | Journalist or professional writer, who are not experts or specialists in a field. Sometimes no author name or credentials are given. |
| Article Structure | Includes clearly labeled parts such as abstract (article summary), and references (bibliography, works cited). May also include and introduction, background, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, notes, appendices and more. | Structure varies. May have titled subsections, but they will rarely be the same labels as a scholarly work. Do not have abstracts or reference lists. |
| Language | Scholarly or technical language; may require prior knowledge of field, issues, and jargon | Easily understood language; does not require special knowledge |
| Peer review | Usually. Articles are verified by experts in the field; emphasize accuracy, trustworthiness, and validity. | No |
| Citations | Yes. Other sources will be cited in text and will have full citations/references in footnotes or reference/works cited list at the end of the paper. | Rarely. Sources will often be referred to, but rarely have full citations. No reference/works cited list. |
| Appearance | Serious and simple; often black and white | Glossy, colorful; attractive images and design; full page ads |
| Images | Sometimes. May contain charts, diagrams, and tables; photography is rare outside of specific disciplines. | Yes. Heavily illustrated with many photos |
| Advertisements | Rarely. If so, they are small, discreet, and subject related | Yes. Profit-based publication; a significant portion is allocated to ads |
| Length | Longer. Length is variable, but usually between 10-30 pages | Shorter. A couple hundred words to a few pages |
Information in this table was created in conjunction with viewing the University of Victoria's Research Tips Central pages.
Peer-reviewed articles (also know as refereed) go through a process where they are analyzed by experts in a field before publication.
Articles can be scholarly (written and published for an academic audience), yet not go through the peer-review process.
1. Check if your journal is peer reviewed
2. If the journal is peer reviewed, then assess the article
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