Your professors may ask you to use only scholarly journals for your research papers, so it's important to be able to tell the difference between scholarly and popular publications.
|
|
Scholarly (aka Peer-Reviewed/Academic) |
Popular |
| Example | American Journal of Political Science | US News & World Report |
| Article Length | ~10-12 pages | ~1-4 pages |
| Visuals | Graphs/Tables | Color images |
| Authors | Academics/Researchers/Authorities/Scholars | Journalists |
| Audience | Academics/Researchers/Authorities/Scholars | General public |
| Language | Specialized Jargon/Technical/Discipline specific | Easy to read |
| References/Citations | Many References/Bibliography | No cited references |
| Advertising | Usually no ads | Many ads |
| Article Structure |
Abstract (summary), objectives, methodology, results, discussion, |
No formal structure |
