Types of Publications
Scholarly, Trade, Popular, and Grey Publications
| Scholarly/Academic | Trade | Popular | Grey Literature | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose: | To share original research | To inform, share ideas, or sell something | To inform, persuade, or entertain | To disseminate research quickly or respond to a public issue |
| Written for: | Researchers, scholars, and professionals | People in the business/trade or hobbyists | General public | Professionals and researchers in the same field/industry and/or policymakers |
| Written by: | Researchers or scholars | Experts or professionals | Journalists or freelance writers | Individual scholars, government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profit organizations, think tanks, and businesses |
| Published in: |
Scholarly journals Ex: Journal of Social Psychology |
Trade journals Ex: Education Digest |
Newspapers or magazines Ex: The New York Times |
Non-traditional publishing outlets Ex: government reports, policy briefs, theses, dissertations, conference proceedings |
| Reviewed by: | Unpaid peers (other researchers or scholars in the same field) | Professional/Paid Editors | Professional/Paid Editors | Varies - may be reviewed by advisors, fact checkers, editors, etc. or may not be reviewed at all |
| Language used: | Academic or technical language; jargon | Some jargon, more everyday language | Plain, everyday language | Professional jargon; technical or academic language |
| Length: | Long, detailed | Brief, accessible | Brief, accessible | Varies, but typically longer |
| Notable features: | Extensive bibliographies, references, or footnotes | References/mentions in text or short bibliographies, advertisements (typically trade-related) | Photos, images, advertisements |
Sources typically but not always cited May include graphics or visuals |
Types of Sources
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
| Definition | Characteristics | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Original documents created or experienced concurrently with the event being researched. | First-hand observations, contemporary accounts of the event. Viewpoint of the time. | Interviews, news footage, data sets, original research, speeches, diaries, letters, creative works, photographs |
| Secondary | Works that analyze, assess, or interpret a historical event, an era, or a phenomenon. Generally uses primary sources. | Interpretation of information, usually written well after an event. Offers reviews or critiques. | Research studies, literary criticism, book reviews, bibliographies, textbooks |
| Tertiary | Sources that identify, locate, and synthesize primary AND secondary sources. | Reference works, collections of lists of primary and secondary sources, finding tools for sources. | Encyclopedias, bibliographies, dictionaries, manuals, textbooks, fact books |