The terms, "scholarly", "academic", and "peer-reviewed" are all used to describe articles reporting on current research in a specific discipline or field of study.
Articles published in peer-reviewed journals are reviewed by experts in the same field of study (scientists, professors, etc.), thus the term "peer-reviewed." The process of getting an article published in a peer-reviewed journal is rigorous and competitive, usually requiring several rounds of editing and re-submission, therefore, an article published in these journals can be considered reliable, or authoritative.
Periodicals are publications that are issued on a regular, or periodic, interval. Periodicals can be excellent sources of concise, focused articles on current events and social issues. Articles in periodicals typically address a very specific aspect of a larger topic.
Different types of periodicals are suitable for different types of information, and are published at different intervals.
This chart outlines characteristics to help distinguish among types of periodicals:
| Magazines and Newspapers | Scholarly Journals | Trade Journals | |
| Authors | Reporters, journalists | Researchers, scholars in the field | Professionals in the field |
| Purpose | Entertain, persuade, inform | Disseminate research, educate, communicate | Share information in the field |
| Audience | General public | Researchers, experts, students in the field | Professionals and students in the field |
|
Writing Style & Vocabulary |
Simple, easy-to-read, writing and vocabulary |
Sophisticated, high-level writing Technical, discipline-specific vocabulary |
Readable by general population Vocabulary specific to profession |
| Sources | Not cited | Cited with footnotes or bibliography | Generally not cited as scholarly journals are, but references may be given |
| Advertising | Extensive | Announcements for conferences, publications in the field | Specific to products and services in the profession |
| Graphics | Usually photographs accompany articles | Charts, tables, statistical data to support articles | Photographs, charts, data |
| Publishers | Commercial, for-profit | Professional society, university, or non-profit organization | Professional or trade organization, non-profit organization |
| Is it Refereed or Peer-reviewed? | No | Yes, articles must meet rigorous standards and be reviewed by a panel of experts before being accepted for publication | Not a peer-review process, but articles are checked for accuracy before publication |
| Examples |
Parents Newsweek Sports Illustrated New York Times |
Botany Reading Research Quarterly Journal of Marriage and the Family Modern Fiction Studies New England Journal of Medicine |
Advertising Age Law and Order Phi Delta Kappan Training
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