Question 10

Correct answer is d) it has been evaluated by scholars before being published.

How To Recognize a Scholarly Journal

All sorts of people are interested in psychology: researchers, students, counselors, patients, families, and also the general public. Many popular magazines, newspapers, radio and television stations, and websites are aimed at the general reader who is curious about what makes humans tick. Some pop psychology is inaccurate or misleading. Some is based on solid scientific findings that have been simplified for the general reader.

Examples of Popular Psychology

Scholarly Journals

In academic work, you should generally avoid popular psychology. Look for scholarly publications, sometimes referred to as “peer-reviewed” or “refereed.” These articles, books, and papers are published by university presses, professional associations, and commercial trade publishers. Each work has been selected by an editorial board, reviewed by qualified peer professionals, and edited for publication. You can be confident that such articles meet professional standards of quality and reliability.

To find scholarly journals, use library databases such as PsycINFO or PubMed. See question 8 for more information on scholarly databases for Psychology.

Examples of Scholarly Journals