Review the information below to become familiar with the differences and similarities among scholarly, trade and popular publications. Be sure to pay attention to the criteria you could use if you were looking for an article from an online database and you could not see the magazine or journal that it was published in. Most instructors accept sources of information from scholarly and trade publications for academic assignments..
There is not always a clear-cut division between types of publications, but this table offers some clues to help you distinguish between scholarly journals, popular magazines, and trade journals. Not all features have to be present to make a publication "scholarly." Adapted from page created by Jan Lewis, based on Selecting the Right Source (UCLA), Is it a Scholarly Journal? A Magazine? A Trade Journal? (VCU), and Scholarly (Professional) Journals Versus popular (General) Magazines (U. Minn.).
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Scholarly Journal |
Trade Publication |
Popular Magazine |
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Audience |
Scholars, researchers, students of the field |
People in a particular industry |
General public |
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Written by |
Specialists in the field, usually scholars with Ph.D.s |
Industry practitioners and professional writers |
Journalists; poets and writers of fiction; essayists |
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Appearance |
Serious and sober, with few colors and few or no advertisements |
Glossy, with advertisements aimed at the industry |
Glossy, with pictures and advertisements |
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Coverage |
Original research results and scholarship |
Industry trends, news and statistics |
Popular topics and current events |
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Articles |
Are signed and often include author's credentials.
Often have many joint authors.
Are written in technical and scholarly language.
May be peer reviewed or "refereed" before publication by an editorial board or outside scholars |
Are not always signed by the author |
Are not always signed by the author Written for a general public audience
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Length |
Articles are usually lengthy - often 10 or more pages |
Articles are usually under 10 pages in length |
Articles are usually under 10 pages in length |
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Slant |
Supposed to present objective/neutral viewpoint; often published by professional associations, like the American Psychological Association, or by university presses |
May reflect the industry's point of view, particularly on regulatory and legislative issues; often published by trade associations or by for-profit corporations |
May reflect the editorial bias/slant of the magazine; usually published by commercial entities |
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Frequency |
Usually quarterly. Sometimes monthly. |
Usually weekly or monthly |
Usually weekly or monthly |
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References Cited |
Usually includes a bibliography and/or footnotes |
Few footnotes; bibliographies are rare |
Usually has no bibliography or footnotes |
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Examples
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Journal of Practical Nursing; Criminal Law Bulletin; Child Development |
Advertising Age, Hotel and Motel Management; Travel Weekly |
Newsweek, Men's Health, Sports Illustrated, Ladies' Home Journal |
