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Philosophy 103 - Critical Thinking in Philosophy: Learn About Scholarly Publications

Comparing both sides of a controversial issue.

Scholarly vs. Popular

What is a Scholarly Journal?

Scholarly journals are generally published by and for experts. A publication is considered to be peer reviewed if its articles go through an official editorial process that involves review and approval by the author’s peers (people who are experts in the same subject area.) Articles in scholarly journals present new, previously unpublished research. Scholarly sources will almost always include:

  • Bibliography and footnotes
  • Author’s name and academic credentials

Use scholarly journals for highly focused original research. 

Examples: AMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, African American Review, Modern Fiction Studies, American Psychologist and American Sociological Review 

What is a Popular Magazine?

Articles in popular magazines tend to be written by staff writers or freelance journalists and are geared towards a general audience. While most magazines adhere to editorial standards, articles do not go through a peer review process and rarely contain bibliographic citations. Popular magazines are periodicals that one typically finds at grocery stores, airport newsstands, or bookstores. Use popular magazines for a general overview of current news and opinions, or firsthand accounts of an event.

Examples: Popular magazines range from highly respected publications such asScientific American and The Atlantic Monthly to general interest magazines likePeople, Sports Illustrated and Newsweek and US News & World Report.

Peer Review

Peer Review Process

Popular or Scholarly?

Structure of a Scholarly Article

Parts of a Scholarly Article - There is a pie with different sections including Title, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, References.

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