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REL200: Approaches to the Study of Religion: Evaluating and Citing Sources

Fall 2018, J. Kaminsky

Scholarly vs. Popular

Scholarly vs. Popular: How can you tell the difference?

  • Is it aimed at a general or specialized readership?
  • Is the author an expert in the field?
  • Is the publication put out by a scholarly association or by a popular press?
  • Does the author cite the sources for conclusions (i.e. footnotes and/or bibliographies?)
  • Is the emphasis placed on arousing your emotions or appealing to your reason?

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