Popular vs. Scholarly
How to Tell the Difference Between a Magazine and a Journal
| CRITERIA* | POPULAR |
SCHOLARLY "Journals" |
|---|---|---|
| AUDIENCE Who is the intended audience for it? |
Directed towards general audience; assumes no special knowledge of the topic. | Directed towards scholars, experts and others knowledgeable about the subject. |
| AUTHOR(S) of ARTICLE Who wrote it? |
Written by a professional writer, journalist, or layperson without significant academic or professional credentials in the field. Many articles are uncredited, so the author is unknown. | Written by an acknowledged or recognized expert in the field, such as an academic scholar or prominent professional. |
| CONTENTS What is the content? |
Consists of general interest items, "hot" topics, opinions, current news or events, or introductory or overview information. | Consists of research reports, comprehensive and detailed treatments of a specific area of study, or critical reviews. |
| STYLE How is it written? |
Uses everyday language that the average person understands. | Uses jargon, or terminology specific to the field, that only experts and scholars will fully understand. |
| PUBLISHER Who published it? |
Published by trade publisher for mass market sales, may be purchased on newstands. | Published by scholarly or academic presses for a limited interest market such as libraries and specialists in the field. Usually only available via subscription. |
| PURPOSE Why was it written? | Written to inform general public about a subject of mass appeal. | Written to share results of new research or to inform other experts of a new discovery or theory. |
| EDITING How are articles selected? |
Publishing decisions made by one or more persons employed by the magazine; generally, editor assigns article topic to journalist. | Editorial board of expert scholars in the field reviews articles before publishing; called peer-reviewed or refereed. |
| INDEXING Where is it indexed? | Found in general periodical indexes, such as General Reference Center Gold or LexisNexis Academic. | Found in specialized indexes, such as PsycINFO, Historical Abstracts, or Biological & Medical Sciences. |
| APPEARANCE What does it look like? | Glossy look, pictures often in color. Images are more frequently for aesthetic appeal and not to provide information. | Mostly text; any images accompanying articles are for the purpose of enhancing understanding of the contents. |
| ADVERTISEMENTS Does it have them and what kind are they? | Print versions contain many ads, often in color, for a wide variety of products and services. | Few or none; if any, usually are highly specialized and directed to researchers. |
| FREQUENCY How often is it published? | Usually weekly or monthly. | Usually quarterly or bimonthly. |
Some indexes, such as Expanded Academic Index ASAP, Business and Company Resource Center, Factiva and LexisNexis Academic, have both scholarly and popular articles, many of which are full-text.
*Note: Not all publications fit the criteria exactly. When in doubt, ask your instructor or a reference librarian.
Examples of Scholarly Journals:
The Academy of Management Review
JAMA: The Journal of the American
Medical Association
Journal of Marriage and the Family
Renaissance Quarterly
The Russian Review: An American
Quarterly Devoted to Russia Past and Present
News magazines such as Time, Newsweek, U.S.
News and World Report, and Business
Week.
Opinion
magazines such as The Nation, New Republic, and National
Review.
Popular magazines such as Sports
Illustrated, Fortune, American Health, and Psychology
Today.
Trade journals such as Automotive
News, Advertising Age, and Beverage World.