Articles - Popular or Scholarly?

Here is a quick checklist of criteria to help you determine if a resource is popular:

• Article length is short (1-5 pages).
• References/citations/footnotes? No.
• Articles may be anonymous.
• Use conversational vocabulary.
• Use graphics for an eye-catching look.

• print version typically colorful
• typically published weekly, bi-weekly or monthly
• contain ads for various products
• articles typically range from paragraph to 5 pages
  
• current events and news
• articles typically written by journalists or freelance writers
• may or may not include author's name or initials
• language easy to understand for general readers
• typically no citations/references
• in an online database you may see these icons: