There are two major types of periodical: scholarly or popular.
Popular periodicals are the kind you would buy to read for fun. They may have some value for research, depending on the topic, but they are usually not the preferred type of resource for research papers.
Scholarly periodicals are written for and by people who work in academics: professors, researchers, undergraduate or graduate students. This type of article is best suited for your research because it is reliable and authoritative.
Some of the library's online databases, such as Academic Search Complete and others have a feature that allows you to click in a checkmark box to find articles from peer-reviewed journals. This should weed out articles from magazines, newspapers, and non-peer-reviewed journals.
NOTE: Not everything published in a peer reviewed journal is a peer reviewed article. Peer reviewed journals typically include letters to the editor, commentaries or book reviews. These are not considered peer reviewed articles. Look carefully at the articles in your list of results to make sure they have the criteria for a scholarly article.
The physical appearance of print sources can help you identify the type of source as well. Popular magazines and trade publications are usually glossy with many photos. Scholarly journals are usually smaller and thicker with plain covers and images, In electronic sources you can check for bibliographies and author credentials or affiliations as potential indicators of scholarly sources.
| Popular Magazines | Scholarly (including peer-reviewed) | |
| Content |
Current events; general interest articles |
Research results/reports; reviews of research (review articles); book reviews |
| Purpose | To inform, entertain, or elicit an emotional response and mostly aim to inform, update, or introduce a topic to a general reader | To share research or scholarship with the academic community. Journals usually have a narrow subject focus, and articles often include original research, reviews, or essays |
| Author | Articles are usually written by professional writers or journalists | Articles are written by authorities in the field |
| Audience | General public | Scholarly readers (researchers, professors, or students) |
| Review | Staff editor | Editorial board made up of other scholars and researchers. Some articles are peer-reviewed |
| Citations | There are rarely bibliographies | Authors cite their sources in endnotes, footnotes, or bibliographies |
| Ads* | Contain numerous ads for a variety of products | Minimal, usually only for scholarly products like books |
| Examples | Foreign Affairs ; New Statesman ; The Atlantic | American Journal of Political Science ; American Political Science Review ; Annual Review Of Political Science |
*Ads will not be visible when viewing articles through a library database