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We can also categorize information by the expertise of its intended audience. Considering the intended audience—how expert one has to be to understand the information—can indicate whether the source has sufficient credibility and thoroughness to meet your need.

There are varying degrees of expertise:

Popular – Popular newspaper and magazine articles (such as The Washington Post, the New Yorker, and Rolling Stone) are meant for a large general audience, are generally affordable, and are easy to purchase or available for free. They are written by staff writers or reporters for the general public; these writers are not likely to have advanced degrees in another discipline other than, say, journalist. As information consumers, most of us are these people, the generalists, whereas some of us may “advance or graduate” to being specialists.

Additionally, they are:

• About news, opinions, background information, and entertainment.
• They are easier to read because they lack the jargon or lingo often found in more scholarly or specialized sources.
• More attractive than scholarly journals, with catchy titles, attractive artwork, and many advertisements but no or very little footnotes or references.
• Published by commercial publishers.
• Published after approval from an editor, but not peer-reviewed.
• For information on using news articles as sources (from newspapers in print and online, broadcast news outlets, news aggregators, news databases, news feeds, social media, blogs, and citizen journalism), see News as a Source.

Professional/Trade – Professional or trade journals (such as Fire Chief,  Chemical Week, or Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration) are meant for people in a particular profession or industry, and are often accessible through a professional organization. Staff writers or other professionals in the targeted field write these articles at a level and in language to be understood by those in the profession.

Additionally, they are:

• About trends and news from the targeted field, book reviews, and case studies.
• Often less than 10 pages, some of which may contain footnotes and references.
• Usually published by professional associations and commercial publishers.
• Published after approval from an editor.

Scholarly – Scholarly journal articles (such as Plant Science and Education and Child Psychology) are meant for scholars, academics, or the general public who want a deep understanding of a problem or issue. Researchers and scholars write these articles to present new knowledge and further understanding of their field of study. The theme/frame of Scholarship as Conversation is particularly apt for this source, if you consider that academics and scholars of any particular field must develop and contribute to the knowledge base, through conversation, in order for the discipline to move forward.

Additionally, they are:

• Where findings of research projects, data and analytics, and case studies usually appear first.
• Scholarly sources are the most rigorously produced among periodical sources which is partially because they are the most closely and acutely scrutinized through the process of peer review.
• Often long (usually over 10 pages) and always include footnotes and references.
• Language used is specialized, technical, and contain a lot of jargon.
• Usually published by universities, professional associations, and commercial publishers.
• Published after approval by peer review or from the journal’s editor.
• Extensive references, sources, bibliography.

See Scholarly Articles as Sources for more detail.