Scholarly vs. Popular
What's the difference between a scholarly journal and a popular magazine? This comparison chart can help.
| Scholarly | Popular | If electronic? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall appearance | Sober and serious. Few illustrations. Many charts, graphs, and equations. | Flashy and glossy. Many illustrations. Fewer charts and graphs. No equations. | You won't see the cover and may not see the illustrations and/or charts. |
| Advertising | Few, if any, ads. Most ads will be for books, other journals, and academic conferences. | Many slick ads for consumer products. | Ads typically won't be available. |
| Audience | Other scholars and students. Uses scholarly terminology. | General public. Language is accessible to most readers. | Apparent in e-version. |
| Authors | Experts in the field. Authors' affiliations are listed. | Reporters and freelance writers. Names and affiliations may not be listed. | If available, affiliations are typically listed in the e-version. |
| Article length | Generally longer. | Generally shorter. | Apparent in e-version. |
| Article structure | Often very structured with abstracts, methodology, and conclusions. | Comparatively unstructured. | Apparent in e-version. |
| References | Includes extensive footnotes and/or a bibliography. | Rarely includes footnotes or a bibliography. | Apparent in e-version. |
| Article Acceptance and Editing | Uses a "peer review" or "referee" process, in which articles are reviewed by other experts in the field. (Check for an "Instructions for Authors" section.) | Articles are reviewed by editors before publication. | Some databases allow you to limit your search to "peer reviewed" journals. |
Need more help?
- Clarify with your professor what types of magazines or journals are acceptable for your research.
- Ask a Librarian.
- Use Ulrich's International Periodical Directory (behind Reference Desk).