Scholarly or Popular Periodicals: What's the Difference?

Most libraries subscribe to various types of periodicals, such as popular, scholarly (also known as peer-reviewed) or trade publications. Choosing which to use depends on your topic, the type of writing you are doing, your assignment, and the expectations of your professor about the resources you use.

Scholarly Journals | Popular Magazines | Trade Publications | Grey Areas | How to decide?

Scholarly Journals
Also called: Academic Peer-reviewed Refereed

Coverage and description

• Each title usually covers a single subject area (such as neonatal nursing, art history, European history, etc.)
• Usually reporting on research or reviewing the literature on a topic
• Language is often technical and specific to the field of research
• Articles may be fairly lengthy, perhaps ten pages or more
• Articles will contain a list of the references cited in the paper. Using this reference list, a reader may wish to
  consult some of the same sources in his or her own research

Authorship

• Articles are written by scholars, researchers or experts in the field, often affiliated with a university or research organization
• May be published by an organization (such as the American Medical Association or the American Dietetic Association)

Look of the journal

• Contain little or no advertising
• Articles may contain charts or other graphics to illustrate the findings of the research
• Title may be Journal of.., Quarterly Review of.., or American Journal of the…
• May contain continuous pagination throughout a single volume
• May be published less frequently, perhaps quarterly or monthly

Coverage and description

• The audience is usually non-academic
• Are primarily intended to entertain or inform the reader
• Contain language that is general and easily understood by a general audience
• May cover several topics in a single issue (such as a news magazine like Newsweek) or may cover topics
  in a broad subject area (such as Audubon Magazine or Sports Illustrated)
• Articles do not contain cited references lists, so the reader cannot track down the authors' original sources
• Tend to have shorter articles of one to five pages
• Often contain regular columns, commentary and letters to the editor
• Entire periodical may have a particular tone, slant or bias

Authorship

• Articles are written by reporters, journalists or staff writers

Look of the journal

• Often contain numerous photos or illustrations
• Often contains numerous commercial advertisements
• May be published frequently (weekly or monthly)

Trade or Professional Publications
Professional or industry news

Coverage and description

• Audience is members of a certain profession, such as business, industry, advertising or medicine
• Contains the most current, late-breaking trends in the designated subject area

Authorship

• Writers may be specialists or practitioners in the subject area and not necessarily professional journalists
• May contain columns written by authorities in the subject area

Look of the journal

• Often issued weekly or monthly
• Probably contains advertising that is specific to the subject area

Grey Areas

Not all periodicals will fit neatly into one of the categories described above. Some titles may have articles written by
experts and be aimed at a certain audience, but also contain advertising and have brief, newsy articles. Examples
include Atlantic Monthly or Science.

• Your best bet is to read the criteria above and see which apply to the periodical or article you have in hand.
• If you are using the print version of a periodical, look in the front pages for information about their submission or review process. Evidence of an editorial board usually indicates that the periodical is scholarly and peer-reviewed.
• Since many articles you may consider using were printed from online sources, this is not always so easy.
  Consider the tone, the authorship and the subject matter.
• Many periodicals will have web sites, which will give you information about what type of periodical it is. Look for
  the URL in the early pages, or Google it.
• Look to see if articles contain reference lists, which would indicate a more scholarly approach.
• Check to see if your article contains biographical information about the author. If it does, what are the qualifications of the author with respect to the subject matter of the article?
• Still not sure? If you still have questions about whether a source is appropriate for your information needs, speak with a reference librarian or with your instructor.