The articles usually do not contain a bibliography or a list of resources consulted. You can also usually identify a popular magazine by the large number of advertisements printed alongside the articles. Often the word journal is in the title. Abstracts or summaries are often provided before each article. The articles are written by researchers with a significant amount of knowledge in the subject area and can provide you with authoritative answers or insights.
Articles have a clearly defined author or authors.
Often the article indicates where the author is working and in what position. Articles often include charts, graphs, or equations that illustrate the author's research. Articles have footnotes or endnotes and references that show you the sources used in preparing the article. This is a quick way to find more information. Few scholarly journals are found full-text on the Web for free.