Scholarly Journals

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Scholarly journals are periodicals that contain articles written by researchers or professionals in a particular subject or discipline. These articles contain original research and references to sources. Many scholarly journals subject their articles to a peer review process in which experts in the field review the article for accuracy and authority.

How can you tell if you're looking at a scholarly article? Check for the following:

• Bibliography

• Footnotes or endnotes

• Published by a university press or scholarly society

• Few or no advertisements

• Background of authors usually given

• Authors are scholars or researchers in the field

• Published quarterly (usually)

• Peer reviewed

• Written in the jargon of the field

• Illustrations support the text (maps, tables, photographs)

• Audience is the scholarly reader (professors, researchers, students)

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Popular Magazines

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This type of periodical provides popular or current news stories for a general audience. Authors are not usually scholars in a specific discipline and do not conduct original research. These articles are not peer-reviewed. Popular magazines may contain articles, short stories, interviews, photographic essays, or poems, of either a specific or general nature.

• Articles are written by paid staff or freelancers. Articles may be unsigned.

• Do not contain bibliographies or footnotes, and rarely provide sources.

• Published by commercial publishers.

• Produced weekly or monthly.

• Subject to editorial review.

• Contain advertising. Most of their revenue derives from the sale of advertising space.

• Written for anyone to understand

• Often profusely illustrated for marketing appeal

• Audience is the general public