- St. Olaf Libraries
- Research Guides
- Writing 120O: Out of Time
- Evaluate Sources
Writing 120O: Out of Time
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Evaluating Research Sources: Questions to Consider
Is this article popular or scholarly?
- Scholarly and Popular Materials Guide (NC State)Guide to identifying scholarly and popular articles from North Carolina State University
- Ulrichsweb.com This link opens in a new windowBibliographic and publisher information on periodicals including scholarly journals, trade magazines, popular magazines, and newspapers.
Comparing Popular and Scholarly Articles
| Articles in Popular Magazines and Newspapers | Articles in Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journals |
| Written by journalists or magazine staff | Written by experts affiliated with a research institution (university, hospital, etc.) |
| Purpose is to inform, persuade, or entertain the general public | Purpose is to communicate research findings to other experts |
| Use language understood by the general public | Use precise, discipline-specific language |
| Do not include a formal bibliography, works cited, or references list | Always include a bibliography, works cited, and/or references list |
| Often include bright, colorful photos | Often display data in black-and-white charts/graphs |
| Evaluated for publication by a magazine editor | Have been evaluated and recommend for publication by other experts in the peer-review process |
| Popular magazines are often published weekly | Scholarly journals are often published monthly or quarterly |