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INST 2401: Life & Earth Systems

This guide will provide resources and assistance for students enrolled in INST 2401.

What is a Scholarly Article?

Also called: Scholarly Journals, Academic Journals, Peer-Reviewed

Use the following criteria to determine whether an article is scholarly.

Audience Scholars, researchers, professors, students.
Author Professionals, experts in the field. Credentials are listed in the article.
Content Original research.
Length Usually lengthy, often 20-40 pages long.
Citations Many detailed citations.
Refereed Yes; Articles go through a peer-review process where they are critiqued by other experts in the field before they are published.

What is a Popular Article?

Also called: Newspapers, Magazines, Trade Magazines

Use the following criteria to determine whether an article is popular.

Audience General readers.
Author Varies, but typically journalists, staff writers, 'guest' experts. May not be signed.
Content Non-technical, entertainment, news. May report on original research (such as breaking medical research)
Length Usually short, 1-5 pages.
Citations No, incomplete, or very few citations.
Refereed No

Examples of Journals with Scholarly Articles

  • Science
  • Nature
  • Microbiology
  • Cell
  • PLOS One
  • Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
  • The Journal of Neuroscience
  • Journal of Nutrition
  • Journal of Genetics
  • Journal of Cell Biology
  • Cancer Research

Publications with Popular Articles

  • Newsweek
  • Time
  • Rolling Stone
  • Ebony 
  • Teen Vogue
  • Cosmopolitan
  • CNN
  • BBC
  • WebMD
  • Medical News Today
  • National Geographic