scholarly journals vs. popular magazines

Periodical publications (magazines, journals, and newspapers) vary greatly with regard to the type, depth and accuracy of information provided. Often your professors will require that at least a certain number of sources for a paper come from scholarly journals such as Journal of Politics as opposed to popular magazines such as Newsweek. Trade or professional journals are another type of periodical. They provide specialized technical information related to specific professions.

The table below outlines some of the characteristics of these types of periodicals.

SCHOLARLY	PROFESSIONAL	POPULAR

Report Research Findings	Provide Technical Information	Provide General Information
Sources Thoroughly Cited	Some Sources May Be Cited	Sources Not Usually Cited
Written by Scholars	Written by Experts	Written by Staff Writers
Written for Scholars	Written for Professionals	Written for General Public
Articles are Peer-reviewed	Articles Reviewed by Experts	Reviewed by Editorial Staff
Long Articles	Short Articles	Short Articles
Black and White Charts, Graphs	Color Illustrations, Some Gloss	Color Illustrations, Glossy
Little or No Advertising	Some Targeted Advertising	Lots of General Advertising
Published Monthly, Quarterly	Published Weekly/Monthly	Published Weekly/Monthly

To look up whether a particular publication is scholarly (or peer-reviewed) ask for the reference book Magazines for Libraries at the Research Assistance Desk. If you have questions about whether a publication is appropriate, ask your professor or a librarian.

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