Skip to Main Content

Distinguishing Scholarly from Non-Scholarly Periodicals: Popular

A Checklist of Criteria

Checklist of Criteria

The following is a checklist of criteria for popular periodicals.

  • Popular periodicals come in many formats and are usually slick and attractive in appearance.  They contain many photographs, drawings, etc. and usually have many advertisements.  
  • These publications rarely, if ever, cite sources. Information published in such periodicals is often second or third hand, and the original source is sometimes obscure.  
  • Articles are usually short in length, simple in language, and shallow in content.  Only a minimal educational level on the part of the reader is assumed.  
  • Articles are written by staff members or free-lance writers.  
  • The main purposes of popular periodicals are to entertain the reader, to sell products, or to promote a viewpoint.

Examples of popular periodicals:

Source of Content

Used with the permission of:

Research & Learning Services
Olin Library
Cornell University Library
Ithica, NY, USA