When conducting research it is important to distinguish between journal articles and magazine articles. Journal articles are typically referred to as "scholarly," while magazine articles are usually considered "popular". A third category, "trade" magazines or journals, are written for professionals in a particular field but are not strictly research related. Below are additional criteria to consider when differentiating between journals, trade journals, and magazines.
|
Criteria |
Scholarly Journal |
Trade Journal |
Popular Magazine |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sample Cover |
|
|
|
|
Audience |
Academics and professionals |
People in the business |
General public |
|
Authors
|
Experts or specialists (PhD). Unpaid. |
Staff writers, industry specialists, or vendor representatives. Paid. |
Journalists, staff writers, or freelance writers. Paid. |
|
Editorial Review |
Journal editorial board and peer reviewers. Unpaid. |
Professional editors. Paid. |
Professional editors. Paid. |
|
References / Works Cited |
Always—with footnotes or a bibliography. |
Sometimes |
Rarely |
Chart adapted from NCSU Libraries: https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/scholarly-popular/
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