Library -- Periodicals-Scholarly v. Popular

Westfield State College Ely Library

Scholarly vs. Popular

Scholarly: The main purpose of scholarly journals is to report on academic study, especially original research or experimentation, in order to make such information available to the rest of the scholarly world. Occasionally trade journals specific to particular businesses will be considered here (see Trade below). Examples of scholarly periodicals.
Popular: The main purpose of popular periodicals is to entertain the reader, to sell products (their own or their advertisers'), and/or to promote a viewpoint. Some add to this category News and General Interest periodicals which are intended to provide information to the general, interested population. Examples of popular periodicals.
Trade: The main purpose of trade journals is to provide current trends and forecasts; news and products; and information on employment opportunities in specific trades. They are targeted to people practicing in the fields. Some trade journals are peer-reviewed and contain research articles with references (see Scholarly above). Examples of trade periodicals.

More Evaluation Information: Click here for several web sites with more information and tips on evaluating sources.

Scholarly	Popular	Professional/Trade
Journals	Magazines	Professional / Trade Journals
Signed, written by an expert	Frequently unsigned	May be unsigned
Authors are experts, scholars, and researchers. Their positions and institutions are identified.	Authors, if identified, are often staff or free lance writers without subject expertise.	Authors are practitioners or journalists who cover the field.
References are provided.	No references given.	Suggested resources may be noted.
Specialized language Multi-syllabic words	Written for the general public Simple language for the layperson	Written for practitioners in an applied field.
Published by an association, organization, or university press	Commercial Publisher	Usually published by an association or organization
Articles are refereed or peer-reviewed by specialists in the field.	General editorial staff decides what is included. Usually there is little subject expertise represented.	Some are refereed, some not. A specialized editorial board from the association or organization decides what is included.
Usually published quarterly or less frequently.	Usually published daily, weekly, or monthly.	Usually published daily, weekly, or monthly.
Long, in-depth articles, few or no advertisements	Short articles, little or no in-depth coverage, Many advertisements	Articles are mixed in length; news updates, calendars. Focused advertisements
Emphasis on original research	Emphasis on Appearance	Production information, emphasis on content
Illustrations are primarily explanatory (e.g. graphs, charts)	Many photos, color, glossy format	Photos (often of people), color, charts, glossy format

Examples of Scholarly Periodicals:	Examples of Popular Periodicals:	Examples of Professional/Trade:
Harvard Business Review JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association Explicator	Sports Illustrated Time Magazine Rolling Stone	AdWeek Modern Plastics

More Evaluation Information:

Periodicals:

Journals vs. Magazines: Which is Which?

http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/jourvmag.htm

Scholarly Journals (Youngstown University)
http://www.maag.ysu.edu/online_handbook/scholar.html

Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals (Cornell University)
http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/skill20.html

Web Sites:

Evaluation of Internet Sites

http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/wwwtips.htm#eval

URL: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/scholpop.htm
Page maintained by Corinne Ebbs

Last reviewed April 3, 2007