Scholarly vs. Popular Magazines: Evaluating Sources

Evaluating a scholarly article requires requires paying special attention to these criteria:

Authority

• Is the author and/or publisher well-known or an expert in the field?  Check the first page or the last page of the article for the author and his institutional affiliation.
• Is the article scholarly or peer reviewed?  Check the publication details and publisher information on the contents page of the journal.  

Accuracy

• Is the information based on facts that are cited and verified with sources? Is there a list of references or a bibliography at the end of the article?
• Does the article provide illustrations, graphs, or tables to represent information?

Currency

• Is the information up-to-date?  When was the article published?
• If the information is old, is it still suitable for your purpose?

Unfortunately, popular magazine and newspaper articles often do not list an author or references to identify their sources.  Evaluating popular journals requires paying special attention to the following criteria:

Audience

• Is the article meant for a general or specific audience? (Ex: Newsweek = general audience, Business Week = audience familiar with business)
• Is the text language technical or easy to understand?  (Ex: Language appropriate for college students or elementary students)

Objectivity

• Is the information covered fact or opinion? Is the information objective or biased? This is especially important to determine with popular publications since they often rely on advertisements.
• Does the information seem well-researched and supported by evidence?
• What is the purpose?  Is there an agenda?  These publications are usually meant to entertain and advertise.

Coverage

• Does the article examine the subject comprehensively or narrowly?  Is the information up to date and supportes by other sources?
• Examining various viewpoints is important.  Magazines and newspapers are often good sources for viewpoints on controversial subjects.