Most of the assignments in this course require you to use scholarly, or more credible sources. To tell the difference between a popular and scholarly article, look for these clues:
Popular Press Resources
- are published in newspapers and magazines for example, Time or Ms.
- sometimes identify the author(s) as well as the author(s) affiliation and credentials
- rarely have references and a bibliography
- are typically written by freelance writers or professional journalists; do not relate to a study
- usually have fairly short titles that are not descriptive of the article’s content
- rarely include an abstract summarizing the article’s contents
- can be any length, even shorter than a page
- often contain photographs and advertisements
Scholarly Resources
- are published by an association or scholarly press
- always identify the author(s) and typically list the educational institution the author is affiliated with as well as his/her credentials
- always have references and a bibliography
- are typically written by professors, scientists or professionals; often the article is based on or relates to a study
- usually have long titles that describe the article’s content
- typically include an abstract summarizing the article’s content
- are usually quite lengthy
- may contain supporting diagrams, charts or illustrations
- per Elizabeth Palmer, should include cited sources within the text of the article and the same cited sources should appear in the reference list or bibliography at the end of the article
- can be found by limiting your database search to "scholarly" or "peer reviewed" journals.
For a printable version of this information, here is a link to a library handout on the topic entitled "Is It Scholarly or Isn't It?
http://depts.alverno.edu/library/rbsinfolitpage/handouts/IsItScholarlyOrIsntIt.pdf
If you need help determining whether a source is appropriate for an assignment, call the library at (414) 382-6062 or stop by and ask us.
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