For some assignments, your instructor may ask you to find scholarly articles, sometimes referred to as "peer-reviewed" articles, but how can you easily tell the differences between articles published in a scholarly journal and those published in a popular magazine? This sort of basic evaluation is a necessary part of the research process, and a means for you to sharpen your critical thinking skills.
Scholarly Articles are:
How do you know if a journal is peer reviewed? Some databases will let you check a box to limit to peer reviewed articles. You can also look at the journal's website which will explain the editorial process including whether or not the journal is peer reviewed.
Source: The Basics of Scholarly Resources | California State University, Chico
What is a Scholarly Source?
Sometimes you will encounter popular resources. Not only will you need to learn how to differentiate scholarly and popular resources but you will need to know when it is appropriate to use a popular resource. Here is some information about popular resources:
Features of popular resources such as magazines:
- Glossy pictures
- Written for general audiences most likely by non-experts such as journalists
- Easy to locate and purchase
- Catchy headlines and titles
- Articles tend to be short
- Lots of color images and advertisements
- Little or no reference to where the information was obtained
- Examples: Time, Oprah, National Geographic, People, Sports Illustrated
Google returns results on the basis of popularity. While popular beliefs are sometimes correct, we can all think of many instances when they are not correct. Since the internet itself -- the source of all of Google's results -- includes all sorts of misinformation, one cannot be certain that results returned from Google are absolutely reliable.
Google is fine for our everyday use: In everyday life, we often use Google to find generally agreed upon facts about a topic. But generally agreed upon topics aren't the focus of academic scholarship: scholars make arguments that often challenge presupposed facts, and need extremely reliable sources to strengthen their arguments. But all too often, the sources produced by Google do not provide enough evidence to verify the reliability of the information and facts they publish.
Also, academic articles often will not appear on websites searched by Google, because they are stored in subscription-only databases that provide limited access. Google Scholar (a *different* search engine) will find some articles, but it's best to talk with your professor or librarian about what sources to use.
Ultimately for your papers and projects, it is best to use books, journal articles, reports, and other information sources (print and electronic) that are written and published by verified experts in the "peer review system." For more information on academic standards and "peer review," read the "Peer Review" section of Finding Articles page in this guide or contact a librarian!
Wikipedia makes certain efforts at reliability that search engines like Google do not, including its own system of peer-review. Still, Wikipedia has different priorities than an academic peer-reviewed resource, and therefore it shouldn't be used in place of an academic source. Wikipedia's design trades absolute reliability for convenience and quick updating. You can never be certain that what you read on Wikipedia doesn't include misinformation that has yet to be corrected. Likewise, while Wikipedia does include a system for citation and the editorial evaluation of its entries, its real-time and open updating means that you can never be absolutely certain you're reading good information.
But perhaps most important is the fact that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. Encyclopedias are general information sources best used for gaining a quick overview of a topic and finding a list of resources and topics to guide you in further exploration. Encyclopedia articles generally avoid controversy, and the low level of detail provided by an encyclopedia is not going to be sufficient for your academic work.
More Info:
Source: Peer Review: An Introduction: Why not just use Google or Wikipedia?
Critically review each of the articles below. One is a popular magazine article and one is a scholarly article. Use the comparison chart above to evaluate the articles and answer the review questions.
Take this brief quiz to review your ability to tell the difference between scholarly and popular articles.