| Criteria | Scholarly Journal | Popular Magazine | Trade Magazine/Journal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example |
 |
 |
 |
| Content (Accuracy) | In-depth, primary account of original findings written by the researcher(s); very specific information, with the goal of scholarly communication. | Secondary discussion of someone else's research; may include personal narrative or opinion; general information, purpose is to entertain or inform. | Current news, trends and products in a specific industry; practical information for professionals working in the field or industry. |
| Author (Authority) | Author's credentials are provided; usually a scholar or specialist with subject expertise. | Author is frequently a journalist paid to write articles, may or may not have subject expertise. | Author is usually a professional in the field, sometimes a journalist with subject expertise. |
| Audience (Coverage) | Scholars, researchers, and students. | General public; the interested non-specialist. | Professionals in the field; the interested non-specialist. |
| Language (Coverage) | Specialized terminology or jargon of the field; requires expertise in subject area. | Vocabulary in general usage; easily understandable to most readers. | Specialized terminology or jargon of the field, but not as technical as a scholarly journal. |
| Graphics (Coverage) | Graphs, charts, and tables; very few advertisements and photographs. | Graphs, charts and tables; lots of glossy advertisements and photographs. | Photographs; some graphics and charts; advertisements targeted to professionals in the field. |
| Layout & Organization (Currency) | Structured; includes the article abstract, goals and objectives, methodology, results (evidence), discussion, conclusion, and bibliography. | Informal; may include non-standard formatting. May not present supporting evidence or a conclusion. | Informal; articles organized like a journal or a newsletter. Evidence drawn from personal experience or common knowledge. |
| Accountability (Objectivity) | Articles are evaluated by peer-reviewers* or referees who are experts in the field; edited for content, format, and style. | Articles are evaluated by editorial staff, not experts in the field; edited for format and style. | Articles are evaluated by editorial staff who may be experts in the field, not peer-reviewed*; edited for format and style. |
| References (Objectivity) | Required. Quotes and facts are verifiable. | Rare. Little, if any, information about source materials is given. | Occasional brief bibliographies, but not required. |
| Paging | Page numbers are consecutive throughout the volume. | Each issue begins with page 1. | Each issue begins with page 1. |
| Other Examples |
Scholarly Journal
Annals of Mathematics, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, History of Education Quarterly, Almost anything with Journal in the title. |
Popular Magazine
Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Time, Newsweek, Ladies Home Journal, Cooking Light, Discover |
Trade Magazine/Journal
Architectural Record, PC World, Restaurant Business, American Libraries, Psychology Today, School Band and Orch |
Based on Scholarly vs. Popular Materials by Amy VanScoy, NCSU Library
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/guides/spmaterials/
Not all published material has the same credibility. Peer-reviewed articles have more authority because they have been scrutinized and approved by scholars in a particular field. In other words, they have been reviewed by the author's peers. Peer-reviewed articles/journals are also called scholarly or refereed (as opposed to popular and trade journals). To learn more, see this tutorial.
There are several ways to identify peer-reviewed articles:
Limit database searches to only peer-reviewed articles
When searching for articles in databases, look for a search option for limiting to only peer-reviewed articles. In EBSCOhost databases, look for this option on the bottom half of the Advanced Search screen. There is no peer-review search limit option in PubMed or Web of Science.
Search Ulrich's Periodicals Directory
If you're ever unsure whether an article is peer-reviewed, you can look up the journal title in Ulrich's Periodicals Directory. Select Title (Exact) in the top right Quick Search box and enter the name of the journal. A referee jersey icon will appear next to the journal title if it is peer-reviewed.
