Scholarly vs. Popular Resources - CO130 - Academic Writing - Research Guides at Colorado State University Fort Collins

Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Publications

WHAT IS PEER REVIEW....IN 3 MINUTES

Here are the basic things to look for when trying to determine if you're looking at a scholarly or a popular publication:

Scholarly Journals

Written by and for experts; authoritative
Evaluated by experts; peer-reviewed or refereed
Include bibliographies and/or footnotes
Lengthy articles that contain specialized language
Example: Journal of Social Psychology

Popular publications

Magazines and newspapers
Written by journalists; reviewed by editors
Written for a broad audience
Brief articles that use non-technical language
Contain advertisements, photos, flashy covers
Examples: Time or Newsweek or The New York Times

If, after examining a publication for these features, you still can't tell if it's scholarly/peer-reviewed, search Ulrich's Web (Periodicals Directory) for the publication title.

Librarian

Kristy Nowak

Email Me

Contact:

For assistance, please see all library help options here: https://lib.colostate.edu/services/ask-us/

Subjects: Composition (CO150)

Library Help

Connect with library staff via chat, email, phone or text.