Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Magazines
Criteria |
Scholarly Journals |
Popular Magazines |
|---|---|---|
| Example Covers |  |
 |
| Author | Usually a scholar or researcher with expertise in the subject area; Author's credentials and/or affiliation are given. | Author's name may or may not be given; often a professional writer; may or may not have expertise in the subject area. |
| Audience | Other scholars, researchers, and students. | General public; the interested non-specialist. |
| Language | Specialized terminology or jargon of the field; requires expertise in subject area (or a good specialized dictionary!). | Vocabulary in general usage; easily understandable to most readers. |
| Graphics | Graphs, charts, and tables; very few advertisements and photographs. | Graphs, charts and tables; lots of glossy advertisements and photographs. |
| Layout & Organization | Structured; generally includes the article abstract, objectives, methodology, analysis, results (evidence), discussion, conclusion, and bibliography. | Informal; may include non-standard formatting. May not present supporting evidence or a conclusion. |
| Accountability | Articles are evaluated by peer-reviewers or referees who are experts in the field; edited for content, format, and style. | Articles are evaluated by editorial staff, not experts in the field; edited for format and style. |
| References | Always has a list of references or bibliography; sources of quotes and facts are cited and can be verified. | Rarely has a list of references; usually does not give complete information about sources of information. |
| Examples | Annals of Mathematics, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, History of Education Quarterly, almost anything with Journal in the title. | Time, Newsweek, The Nation, The Economist |
Adapted from a LibGuide by Beth Rohloff at Tufts University's Tisch Library.