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ENGL 01A Mumford: Scholarly & Popular Articles

College Composition and Reading

Recognizing Scholarly & Popular Articles

  • Scholarly journal articles report the results of a research study, such as an experiment, survey, focus group, film or literary analysis, etc.
  • Trade magazine articles are focused on industry-related topics, practical advice, and news related to a profession.
  • Popular articles include those from newspapers and magazines, which focus on current events and human interest stories.

Scholarly vs. Popular Periodicals

Vanderbilt University, Peabody Library (3:12)

Peer Review in 3 Minutes

North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries, 3:15

Examples

Periodical Type Scholarly Journal Trade Magazine Popular Magazine Popular Newspaper
Sample Journal / Magazine / Newspaper Cover of Environmental Health Cover of Chemical Week from Oct. 28, 2019 Cover of Time Magazine Issue 175, No. 20

 

 

Image of Los Angeles Times logo
Sample Article from Journal / Magazine / Newspaper

Pesticides in House Dust from Urban and Farmworker Households in California: An Observational Measurement Study

Check out "More About Scholarly Journal Articles" for more information.

EPA Denies Environmental Group Petition to Ban 2,4-D

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Cancer, Cancer Everywhere

Chemical Companies Agree to End Fight Over Pesticide Ban
Audience Academics and professionals People in the business General public General public
Authors Experts or specialists. Unpaid. Staff writers, industry specialists, or vendor representatives. Paid. Journalists, staff writers, or freelance writers. Paid. Journalists, staff writers, or freelance writers. Paid.
Editorial Review Journal editorial board and peer reviewers. Unpaid. Professional Editors. Paid. Professional Editors. Paid. Professional Editors. Paid.
References / Works Cited Almost always Sometimes Rarely Rarely

Modeled after NCSU Libraries "Scholarly & Popular Materials" tutorial.