The following sources were consulted in preparing this handout:
the University of Maryland Libraries and the Syracuse University
Library web sites.
| Areas of Comparison |
Scholarly |
Trade |
Popular |
| Contents |
Articles are based on original research |
Industry related news items,
product reviews, advertisements, statistical data, and trends |
Current events, general interest articles,
not in-depth treatment of subjects, and often entertaining |
| Purpose |
Introduce new research
results/findings to advance knowledge in a field |
Keep professionals informed about
what is happening in an industry |
Inform or entertain the general public |
| Scope |
Subject or discipline specific |
Pertains to that
profession/industry |
Can be very broad |
| Audience |
People with knowledge of the
subject: experts and scholars |
People in the trade industry |
General public |
| Authors |
Researchers/Scholars usually
associated with universities or other research bodies |
People in the industry or in
related industries |
Employees of the magazine or freelance
journalists |
| Published by |
Professional organization,
association, or academic presses |
Professional association |
Commercial publishers |
| Review process |
Peer-reviewed by experts before
publication |
Reviewed by employees of the
magazine |
Reviewed by employees of the magazine |
| Author's credentials |
Included |
Sometimes included |
Not generally included |
| Abstracts |
Generally included |
Not included |
Not included |
| References (Bibliography) |
Always included |
May be included |
Not included |
| Appearance & Frequency |
Few if any ads, charts, and
diagrams: monthly or quarterly |
Photographs and industry specific
ads: weekly or monthly |
Many color photographs and ads: weekly or
monthly |
| Examples |
Journal of the American Medical
Association |
American Libraries |
Time, Newsweek, People, Sports Illustrated |
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