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Biology

How to Distinguish Scholarly and Popular Articles

Popular Articles

Example

Short in length (about 1-3 pages)

Written for a general audience (so easier to read)

Appear in online or print newspapers or magazines

Usually written by journalists, but not always

Sources are informally cited (mentioned in the body of the article)

Usually contain color images

Usually contain advertisements to products

Scholarly Articles

Example

Lengthy (about 15-30 pages)

Written by scholars for scholars in a particular field or discipline

Appear in online or print journals

Usually printed in a plain, black-and-white layout 

Usually contain tables, charts, diagrams

Sources are formally cited, with in-text citations and a bibliography or references page 

Sometimes contain advertisements (usually limited to books or products related to the field/discipline)