How to Determine Whether a Periodical Is Scholarly or Popular
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Magazines and journals are often referred to as periodicals, since they are produced on a regular or "periodic" basis. Periodicals generally fall into three groups, scholarly, professional, and popular. You will need to know the differences among these in order to use them effectively when writing your papers or doing research. There isn't any clear-cut definition for a scholarly journal (sometimes also called a "technical journal" or "research journal") but typically their contents are highly specialized and theoretical and contain lots of mathematics, charts, graphs, and lengthy bibliographies. Other journals and magazines are aimed at certain groups of people, such as engineers or doctors or teachers — and while these periodicals can to some extent be scholarly, they are often called professional or "trade" journals because their focus is less on "research" and more on brief overview articles and news of the professions and trades they cover. Popular magazines tend to be aimed at the general public and contain news of the day or articles of broad appeal.
You can use the table below to help you decide whether a magazine or journal is popular, professional or scholarly in nature. If you have questions or need help, please ask a librarian or seek the advice of your professor or instructor.
| Popular | Professional (Trade) | Scholarly (Technical) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising | Almost Always | Often | Little, If Any |
| Appearance | Glossy, Many Pictures | Glossy, Some Pictures; Relatively Few Equations | Plain; Contain Lots of Charts, Graphs, Equations; Relatively Few Pictures (Depending on Subject) |
| Audience | General Public | Practicing Professionals in That Field | Students, Scholars and Researchers in That Field |
| Author | Journalist, Layperson, Sometimes None Listed | Staff Members of the Journal, Members of the Group Served by the Journal | Academics, Researchers |
| Cited References | Usually None | Relatively Few, Sometimes None | Usually Extensive Bibliographies |
| Content | General Interest, Often Reports Opinion in a Story Format | News of the Profession and Its Members, Brief Research Reports | Specialized, Highly Focused Research Reports |
| Editing | Reviewed by One or More Persons Employed by the Magazine | Reviewed by One or More Persons Employed by the Journal | Editorial Board or Outside Scholars Review Articles Before Publishing, Peer Reviewers |
| Frequency | Usually Weekly or Monthly | Usually Weekly or Monthly | Usually Monthly or Quarterly |
| Indexed | General Indexes, e.g. Academic Search Premier or Reader's Guide | Sometimes General Indexes, Often Specialized Indexes | Subject-Specific Indexes, e.g. Biological Abstracts, Compendex |
| Language | General Language | General Language Augmented by Technical Terminology | Highly Technical Vocabulary |
| Peer Review | None | None or Rarely | Almost Always |
| Price | Usually Inexpensive | Moderately Priced; Often Included in Organizational Membership | Often Very Expensive |
| Where Sold | Stores, Newsstands, by Subscription | Usually by Subscription or Included in Organizational Membership | Occasionally in Bookstores, Often by Subscription Only |
