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| Purpose (Intent) | To inform, entertain, or persuade about current events or popular opinion and to make money | To inform, report, or make available original research, promote scholarly communication, or advance knowledge | To provide news, trends, or practical information or examine problems or concerns in a particular field, trade, or industry |
| Audience | General public | Scholars, researchers, and students of specific discipline or field | Practitioners of a particular field, trade, or industry |
| Creator | Professional writers, journalists, freelance writers or creators that deal with a variety of topics regularly | Scholars or researchers with extensive credentials and experience in the specific discipline or field and usually associated with a university or other organization | Professionals or freelance writers or creators with experience in a particular field, trade, or industry |
| Language (Tone) | Entertaining, non-technical language | Specialized terminology or jargon from the specific discipline or field | Specialized terminology or jargon in the field or industry |
| Reference | Sources rarely cited | Sources always cited | Sources occasionally, but not usually cited |
| Accountability | Content not evaluated by experts in the field, often published or produced by commercial organizations | Usually reviewed and critically evaluated by a subject expert or board of subject experts (peer review), published or produced by a scholarly organization or society (university, association, commercial enterprise, etc.) | Content may be evaluated by experts in the field, often published or produced by a trade association |
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