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Islamic Studies: Articles

Scholarly vs Popular Articles: Understanding the Difference

Popular Magazine or Newspaper Articles
·  Are written by journalists or reporters;
·  Are written to inform, to persuade, or to entertain;
·  Are intended for a general audience;
·  Usually do not contain bibliographies;
·  Can be purchased at a grocery store;
·  Have glossy covers.

Scholarly Articles
·  Are written by professors, researchers or scholars;
·  Are written to inform other scholars of original research or experimentation;
·  Are written in more specialized or technical language;
·  Have footnotes or bibliographies;
·  May contain research findings or data;
·  Are generally available only by subscription;
·  Are lengthy.