Sociology 301, 321, & 341 (Faulkner)

When conducting research it is important to distinguish between journal articles and magazine articles. Journal articles are typically referred to as "scholarly," while magazine articles are usually considered "popular." Note that not everything published in a scholarly journal is peer-reviewed; there are also book reviews, editorials, etc., that wlil show up in searches of scholarly journals but that are not peer-reviewed articles.

Criteria	Scholarly Journals	Popular Magazines
Example
Content	In-depth, primary account of original findings written by the researcher(s); very specific information, with the goal of scholarly communication.	Secondary discussion of someone else's research; may include personal narrative or opinion; general information; purpose is to entertain or inform.
Author	Author's credentials are provided; usually a scholar or specialist with subject expertise.	Author is frequently a journalist paid to write articles; may or may not have subject expertise.
Audience	Scholars, researchers, and students.	General public; the interested non-specialist.
Language	Specialized terminology or jargon of the field; requires expertise in subject area.	Vocabulary in general usage; easily understandable to most readers.
Graphics	Graphs, charts, and tables; very few advertisements and photographs.	Graphs, charts and tables; lots of glossy advertisements and photographs.
Layout & Organization	Structured; generally includes the article abstract, goals and objectives, methodology, results (evidence), discussion, conclusion, and bibliography.	Informal; may include non-standard formatting. May not present supporting evidence or a conclusion.
Accountability	Articles are evaluated by peer-reviewers or referees who are experts in the field; edited for content, format, and style.	Articles are evaluated by editorial staff, not experts in the field; edited for format and style.
References	Required. Quotes and facts are verifiable.	Rare. Little, if any, information about source materials is given.
Examples	Annals of Mathematics, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, History of Education Quarterly, almost anything with Journal in the title.	Time, Newsweek, The Nation, The Economist

Adapted from a LibGuide by Beth Rohloff at Tufts University's Tisch Library.

Image from Understanding Science: http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/howscienceworks_16

These are types of periodicals that include original research articles written by researchers and experts in a particular academic discipline.
 

Peer-Reviewed or Refereed Journals

Many of the following traits indicate that an article is peer-reviewed:

• Research from a professional field
• Published by a professional organization or society
• Articles typically long – charts, diagrams, notes, works cited
• Numerous citations: these may appear in-text, and/or as footnotes, endnotes, works cited, reference list, bibliography
• Author(s) easily identified
• Reviewed or approved by an outside board of scholars in the field

Types of Research Articles

Review Articles - Compilation or synthesis of various ideas and data from original research
Summary Articles - Synopsis of research
Original Research - Data and ideas that come directly from the research. Typically organized by the following:

• Abstract
• Introduction/Background
• Methods (Material and Methods)
• Results
• Discussion/Conclusions
• References