"A separate portion of something written. A non-fictional piece of writing forming part of a journal, encyclopedia, or other publication, and treating a specific topic independently and distinctly." OED

TYPES OF ARTICLES

• Magazine and newspaper articles aim to entertain and inform.
  • They discuss current news and information on popular topics (politics, economic trends, global issues, etc.), report on industry trends, new products, and new techniques, and may include eye-witness accounts.
  • These articles are written for a more general audience by journalists, freelance writers, editorial staff, or specialists in a certain field of study.

• Journal articles aim to inform/report on original research done by scholars and experts.
  • They are written by subject specialists and experts in the field, and are intended for a limited audience (researchers, scholars, and experts).
  • These research-based reports include references and follow a general format (abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion).
  • They are considered academic sources and may be scholarly and/or peer-reviewed (reviewed by the author’s peers).

TO LEARN MORE:

Consider browsing this helpful handout: 

1. Finding Sources

2. Is your source peer-reviewed?

3. Reading Scientific Articles

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