How can you tell the difference between SCHOLARLY JOURNAL ARTICLES, POPULAR NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES, and TRADE PUBLICATION MAGAZINES? Here is a table with some key differences.
| |
SCHOLARLY
|
POPULAR
|
TRADE
|
| CONTENT |
- Academic research
- Academic reviews
- Language is formal and can include field jargon
- Articles are often lengthy
|
- Popular culture Info
- Current events/ news
- Language is usually more informal
- Articles tend to be shorter
|
- Industry/field news
- Professional interest articles
- Language is heavy on professional jargon though usually not as formal as a scholarly article
- Articles are short
|
| INTENDED AUDIENCE |
- Scholars
- Researchers
- Undergraduate/Graduate Students
|
|
- Industry/Field Professionals
|
| REFERENCES/CITED SOURCES |
- Always listed and usually extensive
- Scientific journals include original research info/data
|
- Never (though sources are often quoted within the text)
|
- Sometimes listed but not extensive research cited
|
| AUTHOR/S |
|
- Usually journalists
- Sometimes scholars or professionals
|
- Usually working professionals (teachers, therapists, etc.)
- Sometimes scholars within the field
|
| REVIEW POLICY |
- "Peer-reviewed" by an editorial board of scholars in particular field
|
- Editorial staff, usually made up of journalists
|
- Editorial staff, usually made up of professionals
|
| PICTURES/ADS |
- Most visuals are graphs or charts with data
- Some will have a small picture or two but typically have none
- Usually no or few ads
|
- Frequently contain glossy ads
- Contain large and numerous pictures to accompany articles
|
- Frequently contain advertisements and some pictures to accompany articles (though not as many as in a popular magazine or newspaper)
|
| EXAMPLES |
- The American Journal of Psychology
- The Journal of Asian Studies
- Journal of Academic Librarianship
- Occupational Therapy in Mental Health
- American Music
|
- Time
- Rolling Stone
- Scientific American
- Consumer Reports
- The New York Times
|
- OT Practice Magazine
- College and Research Libraries News
- NEA (National Education Association) Today Magazine
- Billboard
|
