REMEMBER:
Most content found on websites would be considered popular sources!
Some exceptions might be research published on the website of a scientific organization (like the National Institutes of Health, or NASA) or scholarly articles found via sources like Google Scholar.
While websites can contain useful and reliable information, they are rarely written by scholars and researchers (and can be written by anybody, including people who know nothing about a topic and are just selling something or expressing an opinion). Be careful to particularly evaluate any information you find on the web to determine if it is credible.
Use our guide on Evaluating Websites and Other Sources to help, or ask a librarian!
Reading a scholarly article takes a different strategy than we may be used to. Use our How to Read a Scholarly Article research guide to help you navigate these kinds of sources.
Still need help? Ask a Librarian!
Almost all scholarly articles will have most or all of the following:
Searched the databases and still coming up empty? Found a source but aren't sure if it's scholarly or popular?
Librarians are always here to help! Never hesitate to ask a question, whether you:
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What they're called:
Types of articles:
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Publications covering:
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Written by and for professionals and practitioners Usually considered more popular than scholarly since |
Academic Journals |
Magazines |
Trade Journals |
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| Purpose | To publish research and scholarship | To inform and entertain | To inform and support |
| Audience | Researchers, scientists, scholars, professors, graduate and undergraduate students | General readers | Members of a profession |
| Authors | Scholars & researchers with credentials, and institutional affiliations listed. | Journalists & writers. Often unattributed. | Journalists, practitioners in the field. |
| Editors | Board of scholars working in the specific discipline or field covered by the journal | Employees of the magazine | Employees of the publication |
| Review process | Peer-review: Articles are reviewed by scholars in the field with extensive knowledge of the subject matter. | Editor, and perhaps a fact-checker; employees of the magazine | Reviewed by publication employees |
| Frequency | Monthly, quarterly, bi-annually | Weekly or monthly | Weekly or monthly |
| Appearance | Plain, often B&W. Lots of text, often with charts & graphs. Very few advertisements. | Glossy, with lots of pictures and advertisements. | Glossy or newspaper-like. Pictures and advertising. |
| Language | Specialized language of the academic discipline. | Everyday language | Technical jargon of the field |
| Length of articles | Usually long | Usually short or very brief | Varies |
| Format of articles | Structured: abstract, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion | No formal structure | Usually no formal structure |
| Documentation | Often extensive bibliography of works cited, or footnotes/references. | Informal mention of sources in the text | Sometimes includes bibliographies/references |
To cite this LibGuide use the following templates:
APA: Northern Essex Community College Library. (Date updated). Title of page. Title of LibGuide. URL
MLA: Northern Essex Community College Library. "Title of Page." Title of LibGuide, Date updated, URL.
