What are Scholarly Articles?
Here are some common characteristics of scholarly journal articles:
- Article appears in a peer reviewed journal (filter your search results for "peer reviewed")
- Author is an expert in the field. The author's credentials in the field are established, and they are likely affiliated with a scholarly institution and hold an appropriate degree in their field.
- There is a lengthy bibliography at the end of the article.
- Based on original research, or new applications of others' research
- Written for a scholarly audience in that field of study (difficult for others to read)
Scholarly article example:
What are popular articles?
Characteristics of a Popular Article:
- Usually appear in magazines, newspapers or non-scholarly journals (with lots of glossy, shiny pictures, and advertisements).
- Typically written by journalists (not by scholars who are experts in the field).
- Written for a popular audience, easy to read and understand.
- Might summarize or present research findings for the public, but the author is not doing original research in a lab.
- Typically do not include a bibliography, and they don't need an abstract.
Popular Article Example:
Why is the Word Gender Provoking Backlash the World Over by Judith Butler