Popular Magazines vs Trade Publications vs Scholarly Journals

Criteria

Popular Magazines

Trade Magazines

Scholarly Journals

• general public

• members of a specific industry or organization

• university community, researchers and professionals

• paid staff or free-lancers
• articles may be unsigned
• qualifications and affiliation not usually given

• paid staff or practitioners in the field
• articles usually signed
• qualifications and affiliation not usually given

• scholars or researchers in the field, usually with university, research institute, or government affiliation.
• background of authors usually given

• reviewed by an editor

• reviewed by an editor

• peer reviewed or refereed

• often consists of opinion, interviews, discussions of news or other popular subjects

• topics of interest to practicing professionals in a particular industry

• Results of a research study done by the authors, or arguments or analysis based on documented evidence

• may have no references to other sources, and no bibliographies or footnotes

• may have a few references to other sources, with short bibliographies

• always contains many references to other sources, given in a bibliography or footnotes

• usually weekly or monthly

• usually weekly or monthly

• usually quarterly

• non-specialized language for a wide audience

• may contain specialized terminology used within the industry

• more complex, specialized language with frequent use of academic terms and concepts

• commercial

• commercial or industry association

• university press or scholarly society

• Journal:
  • Psychology Today
  • Time Magazine
• Article:
  • The beauty taboo

• Journal:
  • Advertising Age
  • Broadcaster
• Article:
  • Going green on paper

• Journal:
  • Canadian Journal of Communication
  • Journal of Educational Psychology
• Article:
  • Understanding the process: how mediated and peer norms affect young women's body esteem