| Popular Magazines and Newspapers | Trade, Professional, Industry Periodicals | Scholarly, Academic, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Periodical Titles | May have popular words in the title: People Weekly, TV Guide, Time, Rolling Stone |
Titles tend to be short and practical: Metal Construction News, Beverage World, American Libraries, Interior Design |
May have bulletin, journal, or review in the title, but not always: Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Annual Review of Nursing Research, Explicator |
| Article Titles | Popular or catchy | Tend to be straightforward; some could be popular and catchy | Related to research question or results; often long and serious |
| Author(s) | Often one author; staff-written or written by journalists, freelance authors, or guest contributors | Often one author; staff-written or written by freelance authors, guest contributors, or professionals in the field | Frequently multiple coauthors; scholars and researchers in the field, discipline, or specialty; authors will have university affiliations or professional titles listed |
| Frequency of Publication | Issued frequently: daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly |
Issued frequently: weekly, biweekly, or monthly |
Issued less frequently: monthly, quarterly, or semiannually |
| Accountability (not listed) |
Articles are evaluated by editorial staff who are not experts in the field; edited for format and style | Articles evaluated by editors who may be experts in the field; edited for format and style; not peer-reviewed | Articles are evaluated or reviewed by experts in the field; edited for content, format, and style |
*Viewing database articles in PDF format will give you better visual clues as to what type of article you have found.
References:
Teaching Information Literacy 2nd ed. by Burkhardt and MacDonald
Defining Scholarly, Trade, and Popular Sources (LibGuide), Elihu Burritt Library, Central Connecticut State Univ.
| Popular Magazines and Newspapers | Trade, Professional, Industry Periodicals | Scholarly, Academic, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract | No abstract. | No abstract. |
Articles will typically have an abstract at the beginning that summarizes the findings of the research presented in the article NOTE: Not all journals will label the beginning summary with the word ABSTRACT. |
| Audience & Writing Style | Written for general, nonexpert readers; uses simple language | Written for workers in a particular industry, professionals, members of a certain trade; language assumes a certain level of specialized knowledge | Written for scholars and researchers in the field; language contains terminology and jargon of the discipline; reader is assumed to have a scholarly background |
| Purpose | Entertainment and general interest; geared to sell products and services through advertising | Examines problems or concerns in a particular profession or industry; provides specialized information to a wide, interested audience | To inform, report, or make available original research or experimentation in a specific field or discipline to the rest of the scholarly world; where "new knowledge" is reported |
| References | Sources are not cited. There will not be a list of references at the end | Sources are typically not cited, but you may find some exceptions | References or sources are listed in the form of bibliographies, reference lists, and footnotes. Look at the end of the article for the reference list or bibliography |
| Length | Short articles | Short articles | Longer articles (3 - 20 pages or more) |
*Viewing database articles in PDF format will give you better visual clues as to what type of article you have found.
| Popular Magazines and Newspapers | Trade, Professional, Industry Periodicals | Scholarly, Academic, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illustrations, Layout | Eye-catching covers, glossy paper, photos, illustrations, cartoons, sidebars | Eye-catching covers, glossy paper, photos, illustrations, cartoons, sidebars | Plain covers, usually plain matte paper; articles are mostly text, but may have charts, graphs, tables, etc.; very few or no illustrations |
| Advertising | Many ads for products and services | Many ads for products and services related to a particular profession, trade, or industry | Few or no ads |
| Availability | Magazine racks in stores, or newsstands | Usually requires a subscription or access through a library; rarely found in stores or newsstands | Requires a subscription or library access |
