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Scholarly vs. Non-Scholarly Periodicals: Popular

Your prof wants scholarly stuff right? Here's how to recognize it, find it, and use it when you see it.

What to look for

  • Popular periodicals come in many formats, although often somewhat slick and attractive in appearance.  They contain many graphics (photographs, drawings, etc.)
  • These publications rarely, if ever, cite sources.  Information published in such journals is often second or third hand and the original source is sometimes obscure
  • Articles are usually very short, written in simple language and are designed to meet a minimal education level.  There is generally little depth to the content of these articles
  • Articles are written by staff members or free lance writers
  • The main purpose of popular periodicals is to entertain the reader, to sell products (their own or their advertisers), and/or promote a viewpoint

Examples

Family Circle

Sports Illustrated

Parents

People Weekly

Reader's Digest

What an article looks like

Here is what a typical article in a popular magazine might look like.

Covers

Most of the periodicals you have encountered in life--magazines and newspapers available at the grocery store, airport kiosks, and convenience stores--are categorized as "popular" periodicals. That is, they have wide readerships, usually have a profit-oriented purpose of increasing circulation and selling advertising space, and they cover ideas, issues, events, personalities, and activities that have popular appeal.