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Library Research Basics : Scholarly vs. Popular Articles

Peer Reviewed Articles

When you're searching in one of our online databases, it's easy to limit your search to peer-reviewed journals. For example, in Academic Search Complete, there's an option on the main search page under "Limit your results" to limit the search to scholarly (peer reviewed) journals:

 

Peer Review check-box

 

You can also limit your results after you've done a search by clicking the Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals box in the left margin next to the results:

 

Peer Review check-box

Keep in mind that not everything appearing in a peer-reviewed journal is a peer-reviewed article; there are also book reviews, editorials, etc.

Scholarly vs. Popular

 

Scholarly Journals (or peer reviewed)

Popular Magazines

Examples

  • Sociological Review
  • Economic Botany
  • Journal of Asian Studies
  • New England Journal of Medicine

  • PC World
  • Newsweek
  • Psychology Today
  • National Geographic

Content and Format

  • Lengthy, signed articles; usually contain an abstract summarizing the main points
  • Reports of original research
  • In-depth analysis of topics
  • Statistical information
  • Substantial book reviews
  • Refereed/peer reviewed to ensure quality standards of scholarship

  • Short articles, sometimes signed
  • Current events and news
  • Brief, factual information
  • Interviews
  • Some brief book reviews

Language and Audience

  • College-level vocabulary
  • Specialized language of the discipline
  • Written for other academics and experts

  • Non-technical vocabulary
  • Written for general readers

Authors

  • Researchers, academics, scholars
  • Look for credentials, e.g., Ph.D. or affiliation with a university

  • Journalists

Sources

  • Footnotes and bibliographies
  • Extensive documentation

  • Few footnotes
  • Frequently no bibliography

Publishers

  • Professional organizations, universities, research institutes, and scholarly presses

  • Commercial/trade publisher

Graphics

  • Graphs, charts, and tables
  • Ads are very rare

  • Many graphics and photos
  • Abundant advertising; full-page color ads

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