Looking for Articles from Scholarly Journals?
Scholarly journals are sometimes also called peer-reviewed journals, or refereed journals. Identifying scholarly articles involves analysis of the article’s content. There is not always a clear-cut division between types of published articles, but below is a table that outlines some differences between a scholarly journal and a popular magazine. If in doubt, consult your professors or reference librarians.
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Scholarly Journal |
Popular Magazine |
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Appearance |
Serious, with few colors and few or no advertisements; Title often includes words like “Journal”, “Transaction”, “Quarterly”, “Proceedings”, etc |
Usually has bright, attractive cover; Many glossy pictures and advertisements |
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Publication Frequency |
Monthly, quarterly, annually |
Weekly, monthly |
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Articles |
Length |
Typically over 10 pages |
Typically under 10 pages |
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Notes |
Includes notes and extensive references or bibliography |
Few or no notes or references |
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Authorship |
Written by an expert or a specialist in the field; Author name(s) and credentials provided |
Written by a staff writer or a journalist; Name sometimes not provided; Usually no author credentials |
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Abstract |
Frequently an abstract is present |
No abstract |
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In Electronic Databases |
Some databases (e.g. Wilson Web, ABI/INFORM Global) include a checkbox called “peer reviewed”, “scholarly journal”, or “refereed journal” for you to limit your search results to scholarly articles only |
N/A |
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Examples |
History of Education Quarterly Journal of Philosophy Transactions of the American Philosophical Association Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society |
Time Newsweek House & Garden Sports Illustrated
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