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COM 1040: Public Speaking

Scholarly v.Trade v. Popular Publications

How to Evaluate Different Types of Articles

When doing research, you will come across three main types of articles: Scholarly, Trade, and Popular. There is a time and place for each type of article. 

When doing research, you will come across three main types of articles, Scholarly, Trade, and Popular. There is a time and place for each type of article. Scholarly: Highly reliable, use freely. Written by scholars for scholars Trade: Use with caution, written by people in the industry for people in the industry Popular: Avoid, authority and reliability hard to determine.

  1. Scholarly: Highly reliable, use freely. Written by scholars for scholars
  2. Trade: Use with caution, written by people in the industry for people in the industry 
  3. Popular: Avoid, authority and reliability hard to determine. 

Infographic: Flow of Info

Information does not stay the same. It evolves over time. 

Information changes in format, content, and quality. When choosing information, consider the flow of information. Are you selecting the best resource available?

A Note on Using Trade and Popular Sources

Library Search searches scholarly, trade, and popular publications. In many academic assignments, you will be encouraged to primarily gather sources from scholarly publications. For your Persuasive Speech, you can use all three types.

Always check with your instructor to see which types of publications you can use for your assignments!

  • Last Updated: Mar 21, 2024 10:52 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.wmich.edu/COMM1040
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