You will be asked to find scholarly articles during your research to help you answer your research question and support your thesis. Scholarly articles are different from the sources you might normally read. This page will help you understand the differences between scholarly articles and the kinds of popular sources you typically encounter.
This video describes the major differences between scholarly journal articles - also called peer reviewed articles - and popular articles.
Audience |
Scholars and experts in a field Individuals interested in the published research and analysis of a topic |
Purpose |
To share the results of research with other scholars and researchers To offer detailed, in-depth analysis of a narrow topic from a perspective that others haven't addressed before |
Content |
Based on research - either the author's own unique study or analysis of an issue or a review of published research that has been compiled and analyzed to draw new conclusions Often includes references and formal citations to previously published research, may have a References or Works Cited list Typically includes an abstract at the beginning to summarize the article for the reader |
Writing style |
Formal structure and sophisticated style; may include headings to guide the reader through sections of the article Uses jargon or specialized vocabulary specific to the field or topic |
Common features |
Charts or graphs to visually represent data Clearly identified authors and contact information, credentials, or affiliations of the authors to indicate their expertise in the subject Often available in PDF format to mimic the appearance of the article in print, with clearly marked page numbers showing the articles placement within a print journal that contains numerous articles (for example, the article is shown with page numbers 72-84, not 1-14). |
Also called |
Peer reviewed article Academic journal article |
Watch this video to learn about the different parts of a scholarly article and an effective method for scanning an article to determine if it is relevant to your research.