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Popular Magazines vs Scholarly Journals: Characteristics of Periodical Literature

In this guide periodical literature has been divided into three categories: Scholarly , Trade , and Popular . The term periodical is used to describe any publication which is issued on a regular and continuing basis--weekly, monthly, quarterly, or at some other stated interval. A magazine is a periodical for general reading. A journal is a periodical containing scholarly articles. Trade publications offer industry specific information including new trends, products, and techniques.
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SCHOLARLY

POPULAR

TRADE

APPEARANCE:

PURPOSE: to broaden existing knowledge of a subject and report on original research to inform, entertain, and update reader to provide professional support and sharing of trade specific ideas
AUTHORS: scholars/experts staff writers or free-lance writers staff who are professionals in the field, contributing authors, and freelance
PUBLISHERS: professional and academic groups commercial professional, occupational, or trade group
AUDIENCE: scholars in the field; researchers or readers with knowledge in field general public (layman) professionals in a specific industry, business or trade
SCOPE: timely & focused on high interest issues: narrow treatment: articles are researched-based and have specialized content broad subjects; little depth; interdisciplinary information that pertains to a specific trade or organization

LANGUAGE:

READING LEVEL:

technical (jargon): more difficult to read; college level

common; simple;

middle school to high school

 professional jargon; not as technical as a scholarly journal
USAGE: to read work of experts; to obtain data on research; to acquire scholarly information; promote new developments in the field; to use the bibliography for other sources to keep current on topic; to get background information; to get an introduction or summary on topic to acquire current professional information; to learn of employment issues in the field; promote new techniques and trends in the profession
OTHER: less appealing in appearance; contents mostly text; bibliography for other sources included at end of article titles are catchy; no bibliographies; flashier covers; illustrations and photographs appealing appearance; colored charts and graphs; circulates monthly, quarterly, or annually
EXAMPLES: American Journal of Nursing
American Journal of Psychology  
American Political Science Review
Nutrition Reviews  
Science   		American Artist  
Economist
Health  
Newsweek  
Psychology Today  
Rolling Stone   		American Banker   
Public Management  
Advertising Age  
Architecture Digest  
PC World  

CHARACTERISTICS OF REFEREED JOURNAL/ PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL

  • journal published or sponsored by a professional or scholarly society or association
  • articles approved by an editorial board (one or more persons plus the editor); ensures the articles will be a contribution to knowledge
  • selected experts (usually 3-5) reviewed the research which was provided without the authors identification to insure objectivity in evaluation
  • may have supporting diagrams/ charts/ illustrations

All scholarly journals are not peer-reviewed/refereed. To check to see if a journal article is scholarly look for a reference list at the bottom of the article.
 
 
Many of the databases offer tools that allow you to narrow your search by periodical type. They also give you the option to search for peer-reviewed articles only.

Revised July 2009
Karen Dorster, Library Intern

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