Research

Scholarly vs Popular Articles

If you need scholarly articles (sometimes called peer-reviewed or academic articles) for your assignments but you are unsure about what one looks like, take a quick look through our handy guide.

Scholarly Articles:

  • Articles are often peer-reviewed:
    • The article has been reviewed and scrutinised by other scholarly experts before it’s been published
  • Published in academic journals which are written for other experts in the field
    • Ex: International Review of Hydrobiology, Journal of Chemometrics, Humanities Review Journal etc.
  • Longer in length
  • Includes a bibliography
  • Uses a standardised citation style (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)
  • Authors are experts in the article’s subject matter

TIP: search for scholarly articles in the library’s databases

Popular Articles: (Magazine/Newspaper/Media): 

  • Shorter in length
  • Published in magazines that are written for the general public
    • Ex: Time, Maclean’s, Reader’s Digest, The New Yorker, National Geographic, etc.
  • Often they do not include a bibliography
  • Often do not follow a standardised citation style
  • Authors are often reporters, not experts in their article’s subject matter
  • Illustrations are included for marketing or aesthetic appeal

TIP: Search for popular articles in internet search engines (like Google).

Source: Gina Garber.

If you need help finding articles please stop by the Library Service Desk or contact us here.

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