Usually colourful and attractive; lots of illustrations and photographs
Appearance
Contains fewer photographs. May have technical charts and graphs
Short articles including generalised overview of topics
Useful as introductory background reading
Scope
Longer articles covering a specific topic in depth.
Usually, includes abstract (summary) of the article.
Non-technical. Can include definitions of terms presumed unfamiliar to the lector
Language
Technical language specific to the field covered by the article (jargon)
Journalists with no specialist knowledge of the subject. Credentials are rarely given
Authors
Authors' credentials as an expert are explicitly presented, usually on the first page
Background reading and interviews are the main research
Research
Presents the results of original research
Rarely cites sources
References
Articles are rigorously referenced with all sources cited. Usually contains footnotes and bibliography.
Articles are approved for publication by the editor
Peer Review
Articles approved for publication after review by the author's scholarly peers
Adapted from James Cook University. (2011, November 3). Evaluating Sources.Retrieved November 3,2011, from JCU Library Guide:http://libguides.jcu.edu.au/content.php?pid=62895&sid=463437
Useful chart that can "help you distinguish between a scholarly [a.k.a., peer-reviewed or academic] journal article and a popular, general interest publication." Developed by the USC Libraries instruction team.
Using the first and last page of a scholarly article, this interactive image map allows you to focus on the key areas to read when deciding to select a scholarly article for your research.
