A body of writings on a particular subject. (Websters)
Each discipline, or area of study, has its own literature.
Literature of all disciplines include particular types of resources. Books, journal articles, conference proceedings, theses and dissertations, are some common types. Other types include discipline-specific encyclopedias, dictionaries, annual reviews, and more.
The literature can be further categorized into SCHOLARLY and PROFESSIONAL; however, this distinction can be limiting, as some literature can be thought of as both scholarly and professional. Bibliographies are a good example of this.
SCHOLARLY LITERATURE is written by experts conducting research in their fields of expertise. Scholarly articles present and discuss research findings. Most, but not all, scholarly articles are subjected to a peer-review process. A scholarly journal may also include editorials, news, book reviews, and short opinion pieces, which are not in themselves scholarly or peer-reviewed.
Example: Library & Information Science Research.
PROFESSIONAL LITERATURE is also written by experts in the field, but from a practitioner's perspective. Also known as trade literature. News, discussions, opinions about issues and trends, experience-based articles, brief research reports, and book reviews can all be found in the professional literature. The main audience is people working in the field.
Example: College & Research Library News.
TELLING THE DIFFERENCE: This source from Rutgers University Libraries includes a chart highlighting the differences between scholarly, professional, and popular journals.
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