Fogler Library Resources by Subject: Scholarly Journals vs. Popular & Trade Magazines

Identifying Scholarly Journals
vs. Popular & Trade Magazines

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Has your professor asked you to use “scholarly” or “peer-reviewed” journals in your research? Below is a chart of common characteristics of different types of periodicals.

Comparison of Scholarly Journals and Popular and Trade Magazines

These characteristics are generalizations and may not be applicable in all cases. They are meant as a general guide to help you in evaluating periodicals.

Scholarly Journal

Popular Magazine

Trade/Industry Magazine

Audience	Scholars in a specific discipline	General Public	Professionals in a specific industry
Authors/Editors	Articles are written by specialists in the field Usually "peer-reviewed" or "refereed" (i.e., other scholars in the field review articles prior to publication	Written by reporters or magazine staff Reviewed by magazine editor Articles are sometimes unsigned Signed articles may not indicate author's affiliation	Written by staff or industry professionals Articles sometimes unsigned Signed articles may not indicate author's affiliation
Publisher	Often published by an association, institution or scholarly publisher	Published for profit	Published for profit or by an industry association
Appearance	Covers are usually plain, rather than slick and colorful May contain charts and graphs, but usually not colorful illustrations	Glossy paper and attractive appearance Many illustrations	Usually includes many illustrations
Content	Provides research-level information for scholars in the field Sources cited extensively in footnotes and bibliography Uses terminology specific to the field May include review of scholarly books pertinent to the field Articles are often long Titles of articles are descriptive Pagination may be numbered consecutively throughout the volume or year	Advertisements (published for profit) Sources cited briefly or not at all Provides up-to-date information for general readers Little specialized language Articles are usually short May include reviews of books of interest to general readers Titles of articles are intended to produce interest Each issues usually starts with page 1	Reports industry trends or news Often includes advertisements and/or classifieds for related goods, services or employment Articles generally do not contain references or footnotes Articles are generally not peer-reviewed
Availability	Usually published monthly, quarterly or even once or twice a year	Usually published weekly or monthly	Often received as part of an association membership

Identifying Scholarly Journals vs. Popular & Trade Magazines

Comparison of Scholarly Journals and Popular and Trade Magazines

Identifying Scholarly Journals
vs. Popular & Trade Magazines