Peer-Reviewed or Scholarly Journals vs. Magazines: What's the Difference?



One of the main reasons researchers turn to databases is to have the ability to search for peer-reviewed articles.  The following briefly explains how peer-reviewed articles differ from popular articles.

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                            Popular Magazines                                                               Scholarly/Peer Reviewed Journals

                             (People, Time, etc.)                                                                (Journal of the American Medical Association, etc.)



              Intended for a general audience                                            Intended for an audience with knowledge in the field.

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             Articles written by journalists who may or may                     Articles are written by scholars, whose names are listed along

             not have special training in what they are                             with credentials.      

             writing about.

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            For Profit                                                                                        Articles are footnoted and list sources used.

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            Not Peer-reviewed                                                                      Usually not for profit.      



                                                                                                                    Peer-reviewed