Identifying scholarly works
Characteristics of scholarly works and popular periodicals
When writing an academic paper, it is important to use the right resources at the right time. This table will help you identify if an article is scholarly or popular press.
Faculty often request students find "scholarly or academic journal" not "popular magazine" articles for their research sources because, in general, scholarly articles are viewed as having more authority. Articles from the popular press are viewed as being less credible.
| Characteristics | Scholarly articles | Popular magazines |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Formal structure May include: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography |
No specific format or structure |
| Length | Longer articles provide in-depth analysis of topics | Shorter articles Broader overviews of topics |
| Sources | Footnotes and bibliographies | Rarely contains citations Original sources can be obscure |
| Review Policy | Articles read and reviewed by peers for accuracy
|
Articles may go through editor or editorial board |
| Author | Professional, specialist Noted expert in the field |
Journalist, staff writer or anonymous |
| Audience | Researchers and professionals Advanced reading level Specialized vocabulary |
General public Basic reading level Little or no specialized language |
| Advertising | Very little or highly specialized | Significant amount |
| Examples | Journal of Commonwealth Literature Sex Roles: a Journal of Research JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association Annals of Science |
People Sports Illustrated MacLeans Psychology Today Time |
