Q. How can I tell if an article is scholarly?

Scholarly Journals

• Articles tend to be lengthy
• Reading the articles requires your undivided attention
• The author provides a complete list (bibliography) of the sources used
• The entire issue is devoted to one topic, such as biology
• Articles contain few pictures and advertisements
• Often there are illustrations or graphs supporting the authors research
• Articles usually are located by using a subject-oriented database such as PsycINFO, Historical Abstracts, Biological Abstracts, etc.
• The authors credentials are provided
• The periodical is published or sponsored by a scholarly or a professional association or an academic press

Examples:  Psychological Bulletin, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Modern Fiction Studies

Popular Magazines

• Articles tend to be short
• Articles are easy to read
• There may be no indication of where the author got the information used in the article
• The issue may be devoted to one or many topics
• There often are many pictures
• There are many advertisements
• Articles are found using a general database such as Academic Search Premier
• You may not know who wrote the article or the author's credentials
• Periodical is published by commercial publisher

Examples:  Popular Mechanics, Newsweek, Ebony, Sports Illustrated