Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Magazines

Scholarly Journals

• The main purpose of a scholarly journal is to report on original research or experimentation
• Many scholarly journals, though by no means all, are published by a specific professional organization
• Articles are written by someone who has conducted research in the field and is usually affiliated with a university or research center
• The language of scholarly journals is that of the discipline covered. It assumes some scholarly background on the part of the reader
• Articles are lengthy and list their sources in the form of footnotes or endnotes
• Illustrations, if any, are graphs and charts, with few glossy color pictures
• Few advertisements (if any)

Popular Magazines

• The main purpose is to entertain the reader.
• Information is often second or third hand; the original source often obscure.
• There is generally little depth to the content of these articles.
• Articles are written by staff members or freelance writers.
• Rarely, if ever, cite sources.
• Simple language is used; they are designed to meet a minimal education level.
• Are often somewhat slick and attractive and contain lots of graphics.
• Advertisements are aimed at the general public.

Examples: Business Week, Economist, Newsweek, People Magazine, Popular Science