10 MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF A POPULAR ARTICLE - LITERATURE - 2025

Some of the most important characteristics of a popular article are that it is directed to a general public, the use of accessible language and the use of a scientific basis.

A popular article is one that makes it possible to publicize scientific, technological or academic research, in a brief, close and understandable way for the general public.

The main interest of the popular articles is that the advances and scientific concepts are exposed in a massive way; that readers can understand the argument and associate it with their lives, that they can understand the social implications of the concepts discussed and consider them relevant issues.

Being massive, popular articles have a series of characteristics that allow them to be accessible to the general public, without sacrificing scientific rigor or the quality of the information.

Many factors come into play, such as the audience, the subject, the structure and the approach of the concepts.

Ten main characteristics of a popular article

Aimed at the general public

The public to which a popular article is directed is very varied: students, professors, people attracted to certain topics or even academics specialized in the field of research being treated, or in a different one, may be interested.

The correct identification of the audience will allow to address the subject in an appropriate way: the author must ask himself what will be the importance of the dissemination article for that particular audience and how the information should be approached, so that it is striking and relevant for said audience.

The author does not have to be a scientist

Popular articles usually deal with specialized scientific, technological and academic topics, but the author does not necessarily have to be scientific or academic.

These articles can be written by journalists or popularizers; the important thing is that the author of the work investigates in depth on the subject to be dealt with, has an extensive conceptual base and a good handling of the information.

Popular articles are not considered works to express the opinions of the author, so the writer must rely exclusively on the data obtained from his research.

Accessible language

Given that the popular articles are aimed at a fairly varied audience, the language used must be adapted to this heterogeneity.

Normally, scientific or technological investigations (which are the basis for popular articles), use a highly complex specialized language with many technicalities.

The idea is that the writer of the article avoids these technical terms and uses a closer and more familiar language.

And if there are technical words that are necessary for the subject to be understood correctly, it is recommended to explain them in simple terms, so they will not prevent the correct understanding of the article.

Use of analogies and examples

In addition to using a close and familiar language, popular articles usually make use of metaphors or realistic narratives that help to understand the argument in question.

If you want to explain a complicated scientific procedure, the ideal is to find some similarity with everyday life, so that it can be a close concept for any reader.

For example, talking about caloric transfer between two bodies can be somewhat complicated, perhaps even tedious; But if you associate this principle with what happens when cooking, you can have a clearer, more tangible and attractive idea.

Scientific basis

Popular articles should be based on reliable scientific research.

For a research to be considered reliable, it must have, at least, these two characteristics: first, the authors of the research must have academic credentials related to the subject they deal with (university studies, be researchers associated with laboratories or research centers, in other aspects).

Second, they must include experiments through which the hypothesis corresponding to the problem to be solved is tested.

Clearly defined sources

As they are based on scientific research, it is essential that popular articles make clear reference to the sources from which the information was obtained.

These references must be visibly defined in the structure of the article, and cited correctly; so readers can go to them in case they wish to deepen on the subject.

As mentioned above, the sources used as the basis for a broadcast article must be scientifically based, truthful and reliable.

Content with implications

The content of a popular article must be current and must have a clear relevance to society.

More general topics are often dealt with, such as aspects of scientific theories or mathematical and technological concepts, with the intention of increasing the scientific and technological culture of the readers; but it is advisable that the main argument of the popular articles is current, and is of evident importance in the context that the audience lives.

New findings in medical research, environmental issues or technological innovations are just some examples of topics that can be attractive and current, since all these fields, in one way or another, can be part of the context of the readers.

Use of illustrations

In some cases, it is not enough to use a familiar and close language in dissemination articles.

Depending on the topic in question, it is likely that it will be necessary to support the presentation of the information with images, graphs, diagrams or tables, which illustrate the argument of the article more clearly and help the reader to capture the content in a better way.

Striking structure

In addition to the use of images, publicity articles usually have other elements that help make them visually appealing, and thus be able to capture the reader's attention.

Large and colorful titles are usually used, and resources such as underlined, highlighted or italic fonts, which serve to emphasize a phrase.

In some cases it is possible to frame certain important information in colored boxes or, if it is a digital medium, it is even possible to add videos, infographics or interactive content.

Publication in specialized media

Disclosure articles are characterized by being published in media, both print and digital, with certain specifications.

If the subject matter is addressed in a general way, the articles of diffusion could be published in magazines and newspapers that offer general information; They are usually located within the section of the newspaper or magazine that corresponds to the subject matter (science, technology, medicine, social issues, etc.).

However, if the topic covered in the diffusion article is more complex or specific, these are usually published in specialized magazines. Publications such as "Nature", from the UK; "Science", from the United States; “Discover” and “National Geographic”, also from the United States, are some examples of specialized media that are ideal for publishing articles.

References

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3. Poma Aliaga, L. and Ochoa Espinoza, J. “Scientific article vs. popular article ”in Academia. Retrieved: July 14, 2017 from Academia: academia.edu
4. "Ranking of journals worldwide" in the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research Retrieved on July 14, 2017 from: conicyt.cl
5. "Scientific dissemination article" in the Resource Center for Academic Writing of the Tecnológico de Monterrey Retrieved on July 14, 2017 from: sites.ruv.itesm.mx
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