Many search engines and databases include both peer reviewed journal articles and news articles from more popular science magazines. Since many assignments require the selective use of peer reviewed and popular articles, it is important for you to be able to distinguish between the two types.

• Are written by scholars and researchers (look for a university or laboratory affiliation in the article)
• Include an abstract and a bibliography or a cited list of references
• Have a specialized format (this will be discussed later under "Dissecting an Article")
• Use discipline-specific language

• Are written by journalists or writers who may or may not have any expertise in the article's topic
• Rarely have an abstract or a bibliography
• Do not follow a specialized format
• Use language understandable by the general public
• Undergo a limited editorial review

While popular magazines can be a good source for general information on current topics, they may not be the most appropriate source for your research.