SCHOLARLY AND POPULAR SOURCES: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
The importance of research in advancing knowledge and ongoing discourse cannot be overstated. However, for research output to be reliable, the credibility of the information used in drawing the conclusion is requisite. Consequently, there is a consensus amongst scholars that popular sources such as wikis and Wikipedia are not appropriate academic sources. Wikipedia, for instance, is an encyclopedia whose information is based on consensus. As such it is part of the ongoing inclusive social revolution that allows individuals to not only take part in a conversation but also to create knowledge. This raises the question of trust, whereby in the absence of verification the information presented is highly likely to be inaccurate. Against this backdrop, popular sources are not acceptable academic sources. This is because they offer a general overview of information and are intended for the public at large.
Academic writing demands that primary and/or secondary sources are used to shape the opinions presented. In this case, these options are studies and/or particular authors’ writings on specific studies and are most often contained in academic journals. In academic writing, evidence, in the form of previous studies on a particular topic is vital as it helps to validate the information provided. Therefore, using popular sources such as Wikipedia disqualifies the writing from being an academic one. Moreover, it's hard to prove the authenticity of the information. Further, the information provided by wikis is prawn to manipulation by individuals. In this case, people may fail to disclose critical information or omit vital bits. This further reduces the credibility of such information for academic purposes.
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Scholarly works are preferred because experts conduct them in a given field of study. Secondly, they are wholly based on original research and provide citations for all the featured sources. Moreover, in some instances, a peer review is done before publication. This way, these works aid in meeting all the criteria for an academic project or assignment. Nevertheless, popular sources also provide knowledge in the form of publications. Although they are more informal in scope and tone, the publications relay information on various topics of interest. One such acceptable popular source is the Time Magazine . In conclusion, with a few exceptions, popular sources such as wikis and Wikipedia are not entirely reliable, and therefore should not be used in academic writing.
