Technical communication. Technical communication is a means to convey scientific, engineering, or other technical information. Individuals in a variety of contexts and with varied professional credentials engage in technical communication. Some individuals are designated as technical communicators or technical writers.
This guide is designed to teach the differences between popular and scholarly articles. Popular Articles (Magazines) 1  Are often written by journalists or professional writers for a general audience.  Use language easily understood by general readers.
Types of academic source. Sources such as newspaper articles, magazine articles, opinion pieces, and websites are not commonly academic, although there are some exceptions. Many journal articles and reports can be found online, for example. Academic journals are very different from popular magazines, although they bear several similarities.