Introduction
As students, when we are doing research we usually try to find the easier way out when it comes to searching for qualifying work to put into our papers. However, we can't always use sources from popular magazine articles to write academic papers because they are not considered scholarly sources. While both article types are similar in the sense that their main goal is to share specific information, appeal to various audiences, and are written by people who are knowledgeable in the topic, there are also differences between scholarly journal articles and popular magazine articles. Scholarly sources are in categories of their own.
Scholarly journal articles differ from popular magazine articles because a scholarly article has a different level of information and the articles are much more complex. Scholarly journal articles include an abstract or summary, are written by scholars and/or experts in the field, as well as a bibliography. The goal of a scholarly journal article is to inform and educate a scholarly audience ("Post University," 2015). Scholarly articles usually have a lot of substance and a lot of complex sentences using specialized or scientific vocabulary, which does appeal to the intended audience ("Post University," 2015).
Popular Magazine Articles
Unlike scholarly journal articles, popular magazine articles have a specific audience. They give off a more "colorful" vibe which appeals to all types of readers--even those who aren't necessarily interested in the topic. Popular magazine articles do not have a bibliography, they are written by staff or freelance writers, and they are written to entertain ("Post University," 2016). You’re very likely to find these articles in magazines that are in grocery stores or book stores; it is not very likely that you’ll find a scholarly journal source in one of those stores.
References
Academic Journals, Trade Journals, and Popular Magazines (2015 Aug. 5). PowerPoint.
