How can you tell if an article is scholarly or from a magazine?
If you get your article from an online database, you can usually limit your results list to just scholarly journals. If you are using a print copy, here's some tips:
1. Scholarly journals report on original research and usually include charts, graphs and formulas. The articles are lengthy and usually have headings like method or methodology, results, and conclusion and include a bibliography. Examples of scholarly journals are American Journal of Education, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Modern Fiction Studies.
2. Magazine articles are written to inform and entertain a general audience. They may be news magazines, sports interest, cultural and social news, or a variety of topics features. They usually have colorful covers, lots of photos and advertisements. Articles are usually brief but can be longer and they seldom have a bibliography. Examples of magazines are Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, and Popular Mechanics.
When researching an author you may need to use a variety of search terms or concepts:
- Reviews
- Criticism
- Biographical information
- Background
- Historical context
- Social context
Don't forget the value of using bibliographies and citation searching.
Citations and abstracts for researching the humanities from the late 19th century to the present.
Index of journals and book series published in the MLA International bibliography.
Indexes chapters and essays in the humanities and social sciences from 1985 to present.
Academic journal and specialized magazine articles in the humanities published after 1984.
Full-text poems, short stories, synopses, critical essays, literary journals, reference books and author biographies.
Biographical essays, bibliographies, and literary criticism. Also includes Masterplots.
Some other databases you may want to consider
Broad collection of scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers in most academic subjects. A great starting point for any topic!
Full-text articles covering education from early childhood through higher education.
Starting point for education research, from preschool to college.
Full-text articles from high quality education journals.
For more information, see the Zotero Research Guide.
Use Google Scholar to locate articles that may be freely available or to locate other sources that may have cited your source.
