Scholarly Journals v. Popular Magazine Articles

How can you tell the difference
between these two types of
periodical articles?

Length

Longer articles, providing
in-depth analysis of topics

Shorter articles, providing
broader overviews of topics

Authorship

Author usually an expert or specialist in the field, name and credentials always provided

Author usually a staff writer or a journalist, name and credentials often not provided

Language/Audience

Written in the jargon of the field for scholarly readers (professors, researchers or students)

Written in non-technical language for anyone to understand

Format/Structure

Articles usually more structured, may include these sections: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography

Articles do not necessarily follow a specific format or structure

Special Features

Illustrations that support the text, such as tables of statistics, graphs, maps, or photographs

Illustrations with glossy or color photographs, usually for advertising purposes

Editors

Articles usually reviewed and critically evaluated by a board of experts in the field (refereed)

Articles are not evaluated by experts in the field, but by editors on staff

Credits

A bibliography (works cited) and/or footnotes are always provided to document research thoroughly

A bibliography (works cited) is usually not provided, although names of reports or references may be mentioned in the text