| Scholarly |
Popular |
Professional/Trade |
| Journals |
Magazines |
Professional / Trade Journals |
| Signed, written by an expert |
Frequently unsigned |
May be unsigned |
| Authors are experts, scholars, and researchers.
Their positions and institutions are identified. |
Authors, if identified, are often staff or free
lance writers without subject expertise. |
Authors are practitioners or journalists who cover the field. |
| References are provided. |
No references given. |
Suggested resources may be noted. |
Specialized language
Multi-syllabic words |
Written for the general public
Simple language for the layperson |
Written for practitioners in an applied field. |
Published by an association,
organization, or university press |
Commercial Publisher |
Usually published by an association or organization |
Articles are refereed or peer-reviewed
by specialists in the field. |
General editorial staff decides what is included.
Usually there is little subject expertise represented. |
Some are refereed, some not. A specialized editorial board from
the association or organization decides what is included. |
| Usually published quarterly or less frequently. |
Usually published daily, weekly, or monthly. |
Usually published daily, weekly, or monthly. |
Long, in-depth articles,
few or no advertisements |
Short articles, little or no in-depth coverage,
Many advertisements |
Articles are mixed in length; news updates, calendars. Focused advertisements |
| Emphasis on original research |
Emphasis on Appearance |
Production information, emphasis on content |
Illustrations are primarily explanatory
(e.g. graphs, charts) |
Many photos, color, glossy format |
Photos (often of people), color, charts, glossy format |
URL:
http://lib.westfield.ma.edu/scholpop.htm