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ENG 111S: Composition I Supplemental Support

ENG 111S

ENG 111S Article Evaluation

Student Learning Outcomes:

  • Recognize the difference between newspaper, magazine, trade and scholarly periodicals.
  • Describe scholarly conversations as ongoing and including multiple perspectives and voices. 
  • Find and identify peer-reviewed scholarly articles in a library database.

What are Articles and Periodicals?

Articles are pieces of writing shorter than a book and published in periodicals or anthologies. Articles present the most recent published literature on any topic.

Periodicals are publications issued or published on a regular or "periodic" basis. Periodicals are usually separated into four major groups:

  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Trade/professional
  • Scholarly/peer review

If you are able to recognize the differences between these four types of periodicals, you will be able to find the right type of articles for the context of your research needs. 

Virtual Classroom Warm-Up Activity

What type of article is this?
Scholarly: 1 votes (16.67%)
Magazine: 4 votes (66.67%)
Trade: 1 votes (16.67%)
Newspaper: 0 votes (0%)
Total Votes: 6
Which type of article is this?
Scholarly: 3 votes (50%)
Magazine: 1 votes (16.67%)
Trade: 2 votes (33.33%)
Newspaper: 0 votes (0%)
Total Votes: 6

Types of Periodicals

Newspaper Articles:

  • Author: Journalist, freelance author, or guest contributor

  • Audience: General public

  • Editorial Process: Editors and fact-checkers

  • Frequency: Published daily 

  • Reference List: None

  • Purpose: Inform, Entertain, sometimes Persuade. Many newspapers have a political or philosophical view.

Examples:

  • New York Times
  • Detroit News
  • Washington Post

Magazine Articles:

  • Author: Staff writer, journalist, freelance author, or guest contributor

  • Audience: General public

  • Editorial Process: Editors and fact-checkers

  • Frequency: Published weekly or monthly

  • Reference List: None

  • Purpose: Inform and Entertain, sometimes Persuade.

Examples:

  • Sports Illustrated
  • Time
  • Vogue

Trade/Professional Articles:

  • Author: Professionals in the field

  • Audience: Industry professionals, those seeking employment in the industry, college students

  • Editorial Process: Editors, occasional research articles

  • Frequency: Published weekly or monthly

  • Reference List: Sometimes 

  • Purpose: Inform

Examples: 

  • PT: Magazine of Physical Therapy
  • Welding Journal
  • Police Chief

Scholarly or Peer Reviewed Articles:

  • Author: Highly educated experts in the subject field

  • Audience: Researchers, scholars, professionals, college students

  • Editorial Process: Peer Review - This means that the article is read by recognized experts in the field to look for errors and make recommendations about publishing the article.  

  • Frequency: Published monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually 

  • Reference List: Always included at the end of a scholarly article 

  • Purpose: Inform. Articles are usually reports on scholarly research or case studies.

Examples: 

  • American Journal of Psychology
  • Foreign Affairs
  • JAMA: Journal of American Medical Association

Online Article Formats: 

  • Online articles can be available as PDF files, HTML text, or both!
  • Changing the article format does not change the article itself. 

Online Article Citations:

  • Articles from databases will include the database name in addition to the name of the author, the article, and the journal.

Example of online article in a library database:

Gale Academic OneFile Article Image

Example of online article in a library database citation:

Article Citation with article, article title, journal title, and database title highlighted

 

Identifying Scholarly Articles

Scholarly Articles Include Headings: 

  • Abstract -- Summary at the beginning of the article about what was done, why they did it, and what they found.   
  • Author(s) -- Author credentials and affiliations are listed on first page or last page of article
  • Specialized Headings/Sections -- headings may include:
    • Introduction -- Describes the subject of the article and connects the study to previous research.
    • Methodology --  Information about data collected and study participants.
    • Results -- Information about the results of the study.
    • Discussion - Describes new insights gained from the research study. 
    • Conclusion -- Research findings, recommendations, and/or study limitations. 
  • References or bibliography -- Extensive list of sources cited/referenced in the article. 

Note: The format of a scholarly article depends on the field of study and the publication's preferred formatting. For example, some articles may contain a literature review heading, others may include the literature review as part of the introduction or discussion sections. 

Choosing and Reading Scholarly Articles

Tips for Choosing Scholarly Articles:  

  • Read the Title: Watch for words or phrases in the title that match your search terms and topic.

  • Read the Abstract: The abstract tells you what was done, why it was done, and what was concluded. It makes sure there are no surprise endings! 

  • Look at the Source: What is the title of the journal? Journal titles provide clues as to the field of study.

Video: How to Read a Scholarly Article

Scholarly Party Activity

Scholarly Party Activity

Complete the Scholarly Party Activity with your group. 

Reflection

Reflect: 

  • What is one take-away or lesson you learned today that you think you will use in the future?
     
  • What was one concept that felt difficult or that you could use more time on?