| Peer-reviewed or Scholarly Articles | Mainstream Magazine Articles |
|---|---|
| Published in an academic journal, described also as refereed or peer-reviewed | Published in a popular, general interest, or news magazine |
| Author is expert on topic or scholar | Author may be lay reporter |
| Specialized audience of peers or students | Audience includes general public |
| Goal is to inform or present research | Goal is often to entertain or persuade |
| Research-based | Report events or findings of others |
| Includes sources: footnotes and bibliography | Sources may not be cited formally |
| Vocabulary is complex and technical | Vocabulary is familiar, non-technical |
| Graphics used to illustrate research | Graphics used for visual impact |
| Titles may include the words Journal, Review, or Annals; and/or refer to a field of study. Examples: Anthropology & Education Quarterly, Journal of Higher Education |
Titles often general, Examples: New Yorker, Economist, Newsweek,Vanity Fair |
| Published monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually | Published weekly or monthly |
Often your professor will tell you to choose only "scholarly" or "peer-reviewed" article resources when you do research for a paper. This table shows some key contrasts between scholarly and popular resources. Many of the Libraries' article citation databases include an option to search only scholarly, but not all do, so this table should come in handy.