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Geology and Environmental Science: Scholarly vs. Popular Periodicals

Types of Publications

Caution

A word of caution: Scholarly journals can contain non-scholarly articles!

For example, many scholarly journals publish book reviews and letters to the editor. These are not peer-reviewed, but they will show up in database search results even if you check the option to receive only results from scholarly/academic journals.

Luckily, you can spot these articles easily. They don't cite their sources formally, they don't have formal sections, and they are often very short. Many databases also label these types of articles to make it easier for you.

Tips to Remember

What is the difference between a journal and an article?

  • In a research context when a professor asks for a journal they are usually referring to a scholarly periodical. For a definition of a scholarly periodical see below.
  • An article is a piece of writing included with others in a newspaper, magazine, or journal. Articles are what make up journals, magazines, and newspapers.

Scholarly Periodicals – Journals

  • written by and for researchers and scholars
  • includes full citations
  • peer-reviewed(articles are viewed by specialists before published)
  • authors are not paid
  • sometimes called academic articles or peer-reviewed articles

Popular Periodicals – Magazines

  • written by journalists or professional writers
  • rarely give citations
  • written for the general public
  • generally shorter articles
  • advertisements