Peer reviewed articles are scholarly sources; but not every article you find in a scholarly journal will be peer reviewed! Confusing? Yes! But to explain, a scholarly journal will often have other types of article content inside, like book reviews and editorials, which did not go through the special peer review process before being added and published in the scholarly journal. This is why using databases is so important; most databases will have special search filters so that you can limit your searches to just peer reviewed articles, if this is a requirement for your research.
| Criteria | Scholarly Journals | Popular Magazines |
|---|---|---|
|
Example |
 |
 |
| Author |
Usually a scholar or researcher with expertise in the subject area; Author's credentials and/or affiliation are given. |
Author's name may or may not be given; often a professional writer; may or may not have expertise in the subject area.
|
| Audience | Other scholars, researchers, and students. | General public; the interested non-specialist. |
|
Language |
Specialized terminology or jargon of the field; requires expertise in subject area (or a good specialized dictionary!). |
Vocabulary in general usage; easily understandable to most readers. |
|
Graphics
|
Graphs, charts, and tables; very few advertisements and photographs. |
Graphs, charts and tables; lots of glossy advertisements and photographs. |
|
Layout & |
Structured; generally includes the article abstract, objectives, methodology, analysis, results (evidence), discussion, conclusion, and bibliography. | Informal; may include non-standard formatting. May not present supporting evidence or a conclusion. |
|
Accountability |
Articles are evaluated by peer-reviewers or referees who are experts in the field; edited for content, format, and style. |
Articles are evaluated by editorial staff, not experts in the field; edited for format and style. |
|
References |
Always has a list of references or bibliography; sources of quotes and facts are cited and can be verified. |
Rarely has a list of references; usually does not give complete information about sources of information. |
|
Examples |
Annals of Mathematics, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, History of Education Quarterly, almost anything with Journal in the title. |
Time, Newsweek, The Nation, The Economist |
Adapted from a LibGuide by Laurel Eby at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library at San Jose State University.
Explore this tutorial and take the brief quiz testing your understanding of popular and scholarly articles!
University of Arizona - Popular or Scholarly Articles & Quiz
Read this article, Taxing Junk Food linked to the EBSCO Host Database and vote whether you think it's scholarly or popular.