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Library Research: WGST Library Assignment

An introduction to library research in Women's and Gender Studies.

Scholarly vs. Popular Periodicals

How do you decide if the article you are reading is appropriate to include in your paper?

First, some terminology.

Periodical means something that is published repeatedly. A magazine that is published once a month is a periodical. Journals and newspapers are also periodicals. A book that is published once is not a periodical, it is a monograph

When you search in Omni, you will see results from all sorts of publications: magazines, academic articles, theses, books, reports, and more!

Learn how to distinguish between scholarly and popular resources in the following video:

 

Let's review some of the characteristics of popular and scholarly sources:

Popular

  • intended for a general audience and are not usually written by researchers or professors
  • the author's name and affiliation may not be given
  • no abstract at the beginning of articles
  • seldom contain footnotes or a bibliography
  • articles are often enhanced with glossy photos or other illustrations
  • articles are often short - fewer than 5 pages
  • often full of advertising
  • examples: The Economist, Time, Maclean's, Psychology Today, Newsweek

Scholarly

  • written for an academic audience and uses specialized vocabulary
  • author' credentials and institution will be identified
  • usually an abstract at the beginning of articles
  • footnotes and/or a bibliography
  • may contain charts and tables but generally not glossy photos or other graphics
  • articles will usually be longer than 5 pages
  • journals contain little or no advertising
  • examples: Journal of Communication, Journal of Sport Management, Lancet

Need help? Contact the library or your liaison librarian for more help.