periodicals published by specialists, and containing information and contributions relevant to their area of activity.
The main purpose of a scholarly journal is to report on original
research or experimentation in order to make such information available
to the rest of the scholarly world.
Scholarly journals are also called academic, or peer-reviewed journals. Peer-reviewed journals refer
only to those scholarly journals that submit articles to several other
scholars, experts, or academics (peers) in the field for review and
comment.
These reviewers must agree that the article represents properly
conducted original research or writing before it can be published.
What to look for:
Scholarly journal articles often have an abstract,
(
a descriptive
summary of the article contents, before the main text of the article)
Scholarly journals always cite their sources in the form of
footnotes or bibliographies.
These bibliographies are generally lengthy
and cite other scholarly writings.
Articles are written by a scholar in the field or by someone who has
done research in the field.
The affiliations of the authors are listed,
usually at the bottom of the first page or at the end of the
article--universities, research institutions, think tanks, and the like.
The language of scholarly journals is that of the discipline covered.
It assumes some technical background on the part of the reader.
newspapers and magazines whose main purpose is:
to provide information, in a general manner (general interest)
to sell products or to promote a viewpoint
(popular)
to arouse curiosity + to cater to popular superstitions (sensational)
general interest
News and general interest periodicals sometimes cite sources, though more often do not. Articles may be written by a member of the editorial staff, a scholar or a free lance writer.
The language of these publications is geared to any educated audience.
There is no specialty assumed, only interest and a certain level of intelligence
EXAMPLES OF SUBSTANTIVE NEWS OR GENERAL INTEREST PERIODICALS: The Economist
National Geographic
The New York Times
Scientific American
popular
These publications do not cite sources in a bibliography.
Information published in popular periodicals is often second or third hand and the original source is rarely mentioned. Articles are usually very short and written in simple language.
EXAMPLES OF POPULAR PERIODICALS:
Ebony
Parents
People
Weekly Readers Digest
Sports Illustrated
Vogue
