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Different types of publications have different purposes and different audiences. When we talk about journals/magazines, we
can usually divide these publications into three broad categories: scholarly journals, popular magazines, and trade publications.
Scholarly Journals
- Authors are authorities in their fields.
- Authors cite their sources in endnotes, footnotes, or bibliographies.
- Individual issues have little or no advertising.
- Articles must go through a peer-review process.
- Articles are usually reports on scholarly research.
- Illustrations usually take the form of charts and graphs.
- Articles use jargon of the discipline.
Popular Magazines
- Authors are magazine staff members or free lance writers.
- Authors often mention sources, but rarely formally cite them in bibliographies.
- Individual issues contain numerous advertisements.
- There is no peer review process.
- Articles are meant to inform and entertain.
- Illustrations are numerous and colorful.
- Language is geared to the general adult audience (no specialized knowledge of jargon needed).
Trade Publications
- Authors are specialists in a certain field or industry.
- Authors often mention sources, but rarely formally cite them in bibliographies.
- Intended audience includes people in the industry or people seeking employment in the industry.
- There is no peer review process.
- Articles give practical information to people in an industry.
- Some illustrations are included, usually charts, graphs, etc.
- Authors use jargon of the industry.
- Examples of the three major categories of periodicals:
Examples
| Scholarly Journals |
Popular Magazines |
Trade Publications |
| Theatre Research International |
Vanity Fair |
Nation's Restaurant
News |
| Journal of Marketing Research |
Scientific American |
Publisher Weekly |
| Political Quarterly |
National Geographic |
Advertising Age |
Current Psychology Research
and Reviews |
Psychology Today |
Information Today |
| Geographical Perspectives |
U. S. News and World
Report |
Aviation Week and
Space Technology |
If you have any questions about scholarly journals, popular magazines, or trade publications, please contact one of our Reference/Information Desks, or email Ask-A-Librarian.
Boolean Operators | Evaluating Print Sources | Evaluating Web Pages | Primary and Secondary Sources | Truncation and Wild Cards | Word and Subject Searching
Questions or Comments? Contact
Catherine Cardwell, Library Instruction Coordinator
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