| Criteria |
Scholarly Journals |
Popular Magazines |
| Format |
Plain covers; non-glossy pages |
Slick, glossy covers and pages; bright & attractive |
| Sources Cited |
Sources cited rigorously in footnotes and/or bibliographies |
Few or no sources cited |
| Editing |
'Refereed' or 'peer-reviewed'; each article must be approved by a panel of experts in the discipline before publication; look for an Editorial Board or similar listed near the front of the journal |
Edited and proofed by employees of the magazine |
| Authors |
Recognized experts in the field, working scholars; credentials are listed |
Professional journalists; laypeople; sometimes anonymous |
| Frequency of Publication |
Quarterly or bi-annually; sometimes monthly |
Weekly or monthly |
| Availability |
Rarely available at newsstands; by subscription only or through membership in professional organizations |
Frequently available at newsstands, although also by subscription |
| Language |
Technical with discipline-related jargon; may be difficult to understand without a background in the field |
Non-technical; prior knowledge of the subject is not assumed |
| Graphics |
Occasional graphs, charts, and tables; few pictures, photographs, or sidebars |
Many photographs and pictures in glossy colour; sidebars are frequently used |
| Advertising |
Minimal; advertisements are usually for professional equipment, reference sources, and professional publications |
Extensive; advertisements are aimed at general consumers and contain all kinds of products |
| Purpose |
To keep professionals and academics up-to-date about current research, techniques, and advancements in a particular discipline |
To inform the general populace about current events, but also to entertain |