A scholarly (or academic) resource is one that is written by experts in the field for experts in the field. A popular resource is one that is written for the general public. Your local newspaper is a popular resource.
| Scholarly Journals | Popular Magazines |
|---|---|
|
Publication has a narrow scope or is limited to a specific field or sub-field of study; goal is to promote and disseminate scholarly research |
Publication is designed for a broad, general audience; primary goal is to make a profit |
|
Intended for academic or specialized audiences such as professors, researchers, students |
Does not require expertise in the field to understand the information; designed for the general population |
|
Has tables and graphics |
Has pictures and media included |
|
Has references, bibliographies, notes and/or works cited included |
May have verified facts, but does not include references or bibliographies |
|
Has little or no advertising; included advertising promotes books, journals, conferences |
Has advertising |
|
Has an author and author affiliations; authors are experts in their respective field |
May or may not have an author listed; authors are generalists, journalists, or freelance writers |
|
Published by a scholarly press or professional organization |
Published by a for-profit entity |
|
Editorial board of scholars in the field who review articles prior to publication in a process known as refereed or peer-review |
Editor is a journalist who works for the publisher |
Databases usually have some mechanism to search for only scholarly, or peer reviewed, articles. Look for a check box on the search screen which will allow you to limit search results to only scholarly journals if your professor requires a scholarly article.