A scholarly, peer-reviewed article is one that is published only after undergoing scrutiny by several scholars, called reviewers, in the author's discipline, e.g., chemistry, history, etc. The reviewers do not know the identity of the submitting author and the author, likewise, does not know the identity of the reviewers. This method insures that the results of the peer-review process are fair and impartial. The reviewers may choose to reject the article for publication or recommend that the article be published either with or without suggested changes.
Popular--non-peer-reviewed--articles are ones that do not undergo academic scrutiny; these kinds of articles are generally found in news magazines like Time and The Nation.
Here are some ways you can figure out if an article is peer-reviewed:
A. Google the journal and click on "submission guidelines" or the "about" section of the journal's page and look for words such as "peer-reviewed," "refereed," and "double-blind review."
B. The author is a scholar. Look for a byline or a blurb that identifies the college or university where the author teaches. If no information is given, Google the author to find out.
C. There are extensive footnotes, showing the author's familiarity with and reliance on scholarship in the field.
D. The article is addressed to a knowledgeable audience, rather than to the general public.
E. The journal is one that "sounds scholarly" (although this can be tricky). For instance, the title begins with Journal of ...Find the journal's home page and figure out what society or institution publishes it and what submission guidelines are. See who is on the editorial board of the journal—are they scholars in the field/people with academic positions?
Think tanks or policy institutes are organizations that exist to conduct research and promote, or advocate for, positions related to ideologies of the founding members. Think tanks promote views and agendas related to social policy, foreign policy, economic issues, science and technology, and industrial or business policies.
These organizations often publish results of their research or their position or policy papers in magazines, newsletters and journals, which may be freely accessible on their web sites, or may also be available in databases such as LexisNexis and Academic Search Complete. One example is the CATO Journal.
To determine if a publication is produced by a think tank or policy institute, and to determine a potential bias:
1. Search for the publication in Google or another search engine.
2. Find the home page for the publication. This will be the publisher's site.
3. Examine the publisher's web site, clicking on the "About" section to learn about the organization's focus and agenda(s).