Library Instruction: Scholarly vs. Non-Scholarly

Sociological Forum Volume 20, No. 1, (March 2005) 

Scholarly (Periodicals/Journals/Magazines)

Scholarly periodicals traditionally have a serious look. Here are some items to look for if you are not sure if an article you find is indeed scholarly. 

• Scholarly article(s) will have been written by a scholar in a specific field of study
• Scholarly articles ALWAYS cite their sources in either footnotes or bibliographies 
• Scholarly articles will have gone through a peer-review process
• Scholarly articles are published by associations and universities 
• Scholarly articles are void of flashy advertisments and glossy photographs. 

Non-Scholarly (Periodicals/Journals/Magazines)

• Article often contains advertising, glossy photos and are more visually entertaining 
• Articles are NOT peer-reviewed 
• Articles may be written by a variety of staff members, from free lance writers to staff members, NOT scholars in that field of study 
• Articles primary interest is to provide information to a broad audience 
• Commercial publishers generally produce these journals 
• No references are provided in footnotes and/or a bibliography 

TIME

TIME Magazine article from May 31st 2010