Scholarly vs. Popular Periodicals
Difference between scholarly journals and popular magazines
| Scholarly | Popular & General Interest | |
| General Appearance | Serious appearance; may contain graphs, charts, statistics, few pictures, known as "Peer-Reviewed" or "Refereed" or "Academic" | Attractive in appearance, heavily illustrated with photos and ads |
| Writers of Articles | Articles written by scholars and researchers in the field. Before publication, articles are reviewed and approved by subject specialists | Usually free-lance or staff writers |
| Audience | College students, faculty, scholars, or researchers | General public |
| Purpose | To report on original research or experimentation | To provide information, news or to entertain the reader; also may be aimed to sell products or promote a particular point of view |
| Documentation | Always cites sources and may include endnotes or a Works Cited page | Sometimes cite their sources |
| Publisher | Often a university, a research institution, or a professional organization | Commercial enterprises or individuals |
| Examples | Journal of Marriage and Family, American Historical Review, Social Problems, New England Journal of Medicine | Ebony, Men's Journal, Good Housekeeping, People, Sports Illustrated, |
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