Popular materials are written at a level that can be read and understood by the general population. Popular materials may be written by authors who do not have specific expertise or training in the topic discussed, and the materials are often published quickly.
Scholarly materials are written at an academic level and present the findings of scholarly research. These materials often go through a "peer review process" which validates the author(s) research methods and conclusions. To determine if an item would be considered scholarly, look for the following characteristics:
Have you picked out a topic yet?
Do you have a specific source you need to locate?
Browse for electronic journals online using the "Electronic Journal Portal":
Searching for a specific topic in sports? Start out searching the SPORTDiscus database.
Create an account in EBSCOhost to access your personalized account, which is accessible across your favorite Ebsco databases, including Academic Search Complete, Business Source Complete, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Social Work Abstracts, and many more!
Start out by accessing an EBSCO database. In this example we are using Academic Search Complete. Select the "Sign In" option to begin creating your account:
Either sign in with your established EBSCOhost credentials, or "Create a New Account"
Complete the registration form and "Save Changes:"
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