This chart may help you distinguish among the different publications you see, but periodicals form a long continuum from the most popular to the most scholarly. Some professional journals include coverage of trends, but also include scholarly articles. Next, how does one categorize review literature and periodicals that publish original art, poetry, short stories, or even short novels. Finally, many magazines have the word journal in the title, and some journals call themselves magazines.
Remember: that scholarly journals are the primary type of periodical used to support research papers at the college level. Remember: that you can ask for help in identifying scholarly journals at the Research Assistance Desk or via E-Ref.
| Newspapers | Popular & News Magazines | Professional & Trade Magazines | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examples | New York Times Austin American-Statesman |
Newsweek Rolling Stone |
Texas Architect Library Journal |
| Topics | National & international current news & events local and regional events; and so on |
Current news & events Personal advice & opinion Short articles, popular reviews Entertain; inform |
Current trends, events, news in a given profession or industry; Technical developments; Statistics, forecasts & book reviews in field |
| Authors | journalists; reporters; editors | journalists; professional writers; freelancers | industry or professional specialists journalists with subject expertise |
| Language | general audience; basic education | well-written, for general literate public | some jargon-for professionals and practitioners |
| Sources | rarely cited--reader dependent on ethics and expertise of journalists | sometimes cited--often vague and obscure | often cited--sometimes not fully documented professional standards assumed |
| Graphics | pictures and charts; expensive advertising | color, glitz, gloss; extensive advertising | charts, tables & illustrations limited pertinent ads or extensive industry specific advertising |
| Publishers | commercial; often owned as part of a chain |
commercial or trade; often controlled through corporate conglomerate |
commercial, trade or professional ownership controlled through conglomerates controlled through professional association |
| Indexes or Access Tools | InfoTrac Custom Newspapers Newspaper Source, and so on |
general aggregated databases--e.g. Academic OneFile; FirstSearch | ABI/Inform; PsycINFO, and so on |
| Journals of Opinion & Commentary | Journals of Enlightenment, Policy & Influence | Journals of Research & Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examples | Atlantic Commentary New Republic Commonweal |
Scientific American Foreign Affairs The Economist Foreign Policy |
American Historical Review Technology and Culture Social Research The Journal of Economic Issues |
| Topics | Opinions on social, political & cultural issues; Specific viewpoints--liberal/conservative; Interviews, dialogues; Book reviews |
Recognized authorities address issues of public concern; Policy debates; Sophisticated analysis for decision-makers; Book reviews |
In depth analysis; Report research findings, experiments; Information about discipline & scholars; Extensive evaluative book reviews |
| Authors | writers specialists professionals |
senior statesmen scholars leaders or major spokespersons |
researchers scholars academics |
| Language | well written; aimed at the educated reader | assumes sufficient knowledge of issues | graduate level language professional vocabulary / jargon written for peers |
| Sources | rarely cited in full | often cited -- sometimes without full documentation |
extensive documentation |
| Graphics | usually limited upscale advertising |
high quality; pertinent targeted, pertinent ads |
tables, figures, charts advertising rare |
| Publishers | commercial nonprofit |
commercial trade nonprofit |
professional organizations university presses research institutes |
| Indexes or Access Tools | Academic OneFile ProQuest Research Library Academic Source Premier FirstSearch |
Academic OneFile ProQuest Research Library Academic Source Premier FirstSearch |
First Search--e.g. MLA, PsycINFO,
Arts & Humanities Citation Index Scholarly full-image projects--e.g.Project Muse, JSTOR, PAO Publisher's full-image journals--e.g. ScienceDirect, Wiley InterScience |
| Page Updated: 4 August 2009 | Page Created: 6 June 2000 |