What is the difference between popular and scholarly articles?
Popular Articles (Magazines)
- You could buy in a grocery store.
- Often report current events or SUMMARIZE research.
- Use language easily understood by general readers.
- Sources may be quoted, but rarely give bibliographies or full references.
- Written for general public.
- Tend to be shorter than journal articles.
Examples of Popular Magazines:
Scholarly Articles (Journals)
- Are written by scholars, researchers, faculty, and academics within a chosen field.
- Use scholarly or technical language.
- Are research based – contain a methodology used to conduct the research and the results of the research.
- Are often REFEREED or PEER REVIEWED (it has gone through a process of review by a panel of experts in that specific field of study).
- Contain full citations and a list of references for sources.
- Book reviews and editorials are not considered scholarly articles, even when found in scholarly journals.
Examples of Scholarly Journals:
Some points to remember:
- Both magazines and journal articles can be good sources for your work.
- If you want background information on a topic new to you, use magazines.
- If you are required to cite scholarly sources, use journals.
- Often a combination of the two will be most appropriate for undergraduate research.
