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Course & Subject Guides

Political Science Capstone - Greensburg Campus

This guide will assist undergraduate political science students in developing and writing their senior thesis paper for PS 1955.

Types of Articles

Although it is not always appropriate to use scholarly articles, they are considered to be the gold standard for quality.

What is a scholarly article?

Often referred to as "peer-reviewed" or "academic," scholarly articles are concerned with academic study, especially research, exhibiting methods and attitudes of a scholar.

What are the general characteristics of scholarly articles?

  • a sober, serious look
  • often contain many graphs and charts but few colorful pictures
  • always cite their sources in the form of footnotes, endnotes, or a bibliography
  • articles are written by a scholar in the field about which they are writing
  • assumes some scholarly background on the part of the reader (can be more difficult to read than other article types)
  • main purpose is to report on original research or experimentation

What are general purpose articles?

These are articles written for the general public in newspapers and magazines or on news websites. More substantive publications in this area include The Economist, U.S. News and World Report, National Geographic, and Scientific American. 

What are the characteristics of a general purpose publication?

  • Designed for a broad segment of the population
  • Articles written by a journalist or freelance writer for the general public
  • Usually read for information, entertainment or to keep up with current events
  • Print edition may have a bright cover with glossy pictures
  • Lots of advertising.

What are trade publications?

Trade publications are generally focused on a specific field but are not intended to be "scholarly."  Rather, they communicate news and trends of interest to those working in that field.

What are the characteristics of trade or professional publications?

  • Provides information of use to a particular industry, often using the industry's language or jargon
  • Articles are not peer reviewed
  • No specific format
  • Articles are sometimes unsigned; may be written by practitioners in the field
  • Advertising is used to appeal to those in the field

Parts of a Scholarly Article

Identifying Peer Reviewed Literature

How can you tell if a journal is peer reviewed?

Check the introductory and descriptive material in the journal:

  • Does it state that the journal is peer reviewed?
  • Does it refer to or describe the review procedure?
  • Does it give instructions for reviewers?

Look up the journal in the Ulrichsweb database:

  • Is the journal refereed?
  • Is the content academic / scholarly?

Limit your search results to peer reviewed sources, if the database includes that feature.

Remember: not all articles in a peer reviewed journal are actually peer reviewed. Editorials, letters to the editor, news, and opinion pieces, for example, are not peer reviewed.