TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES	LIBRARY HELP PAGES
Periodical Types: Telling the Difference

HOME

CATALOG

DATABASES

HELP SITE MAP

CONTACT US

HELP

EVALUATE HELP PAGES

Periodicals are publications that usually have fixed or regular publication dates (i.e. weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.). They encompass several different publication types (i.e. scholarly journals, popular magazines, general interest magazines, trade journals, and newspapers). Each periodical type has a specific purpose, intended readers, and characteristics. You are probably familiar with the characteristics of newspapers, but may be less familiar with other periodical types; therefore, the following table lists the characteristics for four periodical types. Distinguishing between the types is useful when evaluating sources and choosing those that best fit the scope and intent of your research. Please note that some periodicals do not fit all the criteria of a particular type. For example, Omni Magazine has glossy pages with colorful pictures and illustrations, but offers both scholarly and general interest articles. CRITERIA SCHOLARLY JOURNALS TRADE JOURNALS POPULAR & GENERAL INTEREST MAGAZINES APPEARANCE  • plain cover (usually)  • plain paper  • black and white illustrations (usually charts & graphs)  • consecutive page numbering throughout each volume (often)  • cover depicts industrial or professional setting  • glossy paper  • color pictures and illustrations  • each issue starts with page 1  • eye-catching cover  • glossy paper  • color pictures and illustrations  • each issue starts with page 1 INTENDED AUDIENCE  • researchers, scholars, experts, professionals & college and university students  • people in specific trades, industries, or professions  • employment seekers in specific industries  • nonprofessionals  • the general public  • educated & interested public AUTHOR CREDENTIALS  • contributing authors are experts or authorities in their fields  • author's credentials are given  • contributing authors are field or industry specialists & staff writers with expertise  • author's credentials are usually given  • freelance writers, staff members, journalists & occasionally scholars  • often articles are unsigned & author's credentials are not given PURPOSE  • to add to a body of research, give research findings & guide future research  • to explore theories  • to distribute knowledge  • to present new ideas  • to invite discussion  • to contribute to practical knowledge and information in an industry or profession  • to provide industry news, contacts & updates  • to keep readership informed  • to make money & be a vehicle for advertisers  • to provide general interest information to a wide audience  • to entertain  • to sell advertising, products & subscriptions  • to promote a viewpoint CONTENT  • original research, annotated bibliographies & research and literature reviews  • methods section & theory discussion  • usually include abstracts of the articles  • terminology & jargon of the discipline  • industry trends and forecasts, new products or techniques, organizational news, & job opening announcements  • may present original research and/or industry research  • terminology and jargon of the industry or trade  • information about popular culture, personalities, news & general interest topics  • editorials on current events, world affairs & politics  • usually present what others have done, not primary research  • language suited for a general, educated audience (not industry or specialized jargon) AMOUNT & TYPE OF ADVERTISING  • few or none  • may have ads for conferences, job openings, professional publications & other journals  • moderate  • all or most ads are trade related and directed to specific trades, industries & professions  • heavy (usually)  • advertising type and amount depend on the magazine and its intended audience TYPE OF PUBLISHER  • professional organizations, scholarly associations, research institutes & academic presses  • trade or professional associations/organizations & corporate or commercial presses  • commercial presses & specific interest groups ARTICLE REVIEW PROCESS & ACCOUNTABILITY  • peer review*  • give exact sources for all outside information (author and page numbers)  • footnotes, endnotes, or bibliography (often lengthy) & maybe a list of "additional readings"  • editorial review  • sources often mentioned, but usually not formally documented  • may have limited bibliography  • editorial review  • may just mention sources or use unidentified sources  • may give a "suggested readings" list, but usually no formal bibliography or footnotes EXAMPLES  • Library Trends  • Political Quarterly  • Psychological Bulletin  • Industry Week  • Cotton Grower  • Publishers Weekly  • Sports Illustrated  • Time    • Newsweek  • Texas Monthly *A Note about Peer Review: The term "peer review" refers to the process of having a panel of experts evaluate submitted articles before the articles are accepted (or rejected) for publication. This process involves fact-checking and examining the writers' claims and calculations, as well as investigating the writers' assumptions and conclusions. Having a peer review process helps researchers trust that the information presented in a journal article is sound and of high quality. Sometimes the terms "refereed" and "juried" are used instead of peer review, but both refer to the same process. Some information for this page was obtained, with permission, from the following web pages: • Colorado State University Libraries' web page created by Naomi Lederer "Popular Magazines VS Trade Magazines VS Scholarly Journals" (http://manta.library.colostate.edu/howto/poplr.html) • Bowling Green State University's web page "Scholarly Journals, Popular Magazines, and Trade Publications" (http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/infosrv/lue/period.html)

Dick Smith Library  -  (254) 968-9249  -  Box T-0450 Stephenville, TX 76402
Library Hours  -  Suggestions  -  Tarleton State University  -  Updated 4/2003