Here to help!
All peer-reviewed journals are scholarly, but not all scholarly articles are peer-reviewed.
Peer-reviewed = reviewed by professionals in the field, independent of the journal.
Scholarly = has an editorial staff knowledgeable in the field.
No matter what citation style you use, sometimes professors will ask you to use "scholarly articles" rather than popular magazines. Use the table below to learn what the differences are.
Still not sure if your source is peer-reviewed or not? Try Ulrich's Periodical Directory -- it lists each periodical as Consumer, Trade, or Academic/Scholarly.
| Characteristic | Scholarly Journal | Popular Magazine |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Sober and serious May contain graphs or charts Will not find glossy pages or photographs |
Attractive appearance Advertisements Heavily Illustrated Glossy paper |
| Audience | Scholars and students | General public |
| Authors | Scholars in the field of study | Sources not cited or cited informally |
| Purpose | Report results of original research or experimentation | Provide general information |
| Article Acceptance Procedure | Many (but not all*) scholarly journals are "refereed" or "peer reviewed" - articles undergo a rigorous examination by other scholars in the field before being published | Written by hired reporters, edited by magazine editors, then published |
| Example Journals | Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Journal of Sports Medicine Internal Journal of Sport Psychology |
Sports Illustrated Coach and Athletic Director Bicycling |
| Example Articles | The use of herbal and other non-vitamin, non-mineral supplements among pre- and post-menopausal women in Ontario | 10 Supplements for Women of Any Age |
*All peer-reviewed journals are scholarly, but not all scholarly journals are peer-reviewed.
Peer-reviewed = reviewed by professionals in the field, independent of the journal.
Scholarly = has an editorial staff knowledgeable in the field.
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