Question: What are the differences between popular articles and scholarly or peer reviewed articles?

Scientific Literature

Professional Literature

 Popular Literature

Alternative Description

Scholarly journals,
Peer reviewed journals

Trade publications, government reports

Popular magazines

Example

Journal of Bioethics

World of Welding

Atlantic Monthly

Content

Research findings, methodology, and theory

Summarizes or updates topics of interest

News, opinions, and general interest articles; may provide timely interviews

Author

Expert, researcher, or specialist in the field

Expert, researcher, or specialist in the field

Journalist, staff, or freelance writer

Purpose

Report research, advance knowledge

Provide general information about advances in field

Inform, persuade, or entertain

Editors

Board of experts in the field (peer reviewed)

General editors on staff

General editors on staff

Design/Layout

Plain, articles have methods, results, & discussion sections

Plain, articles have general layout

Glossy, eye-catching, articles have general layout

Advertisements

Few or none

Few or none, perhaps related to the subject of the publication

Many 

Article Length

Often quite long

Can be quite 

Usually a few pages in length

Bibliography, references, or works cited lists

Yes – always cite sources

Maybe

No, or rarely cites sources in a formal way