You may not think it, but you already have the skills needed to recognize scholarliness. To draw on that knowledge, I want you to remember a time when you learned a new skill or how to use a new technology - perhaps how to play a game or use a new app. This is just for you, but feel free to write your answers down if you prefer.

Imagine explaining it to your friends - what would you say? What kinds of words would you use?

Now imagine explaining it to your grandparents or an elderly neighbor? What would you do differently? Would you assume the same background knowledge that your friends have?

Now imagine explaining it to your employer? Would you use the same slang terms you used with your friends?

You already put information into context and expect information, like your explanation of how to play a game, to have different characteristics in different contexts. We have different expectations about a news report compared to a friend's social media post. This lesson is all about the expectations we have for information in a college or university context.

Watch this video lecture to learn about characteristics of scholarly, popular and trade publications.