2. Types of Periodicals
Periodicals have a variety of characteristics. They can be divided into 3
main types or categories. This tutorial will explain mainly the differences
between popular and scholarly journals. S
Popular Professional Scholarly
Magazines Journals Journals
3. Which is which?
Scholarly Popular
• Few illustrations • Many illustrations
– Usually graphs or charts – Usually glossy, color photos
• Few advertisements • Many advertisements
– Usually for academic services or – Usually for consumer products
items related to journal topic.
• Short articles, no bibliographies
• Lengthy articles with
• Author may not be listed and
bibliographies
credentials are rare
• Author is listed with credentials
– Usually staff or freelance writers
– Usually part of a university
• Articles cover general interest
• Article discusses original research topics
• Written using vocabulary of the • Written for general public using
academic subject everyday vocabulary
4. How do you find them?
• Databases
– OmniFileFullTextSelect contains scholarly, professional and
popular articles.
– Some databases contain mainly scholarly journal articles. If you
want only scholarly sources, be sure to select the “Peer
Reviewed” box in your search!
• Newsstands
- Some popular magazines can be found at newsstands as well as in
databases.
5. Scholarly: Academic Journals
• Examples:
– Journal of Social Psychology
– Journal of Applied Physiology
– New England Journal of
Medicine
• Characteristics:
– Technical language
– Reports of original research
– Research methods and
results, discussion and
extensive citations
6. Popular: Professional Trade Journals
• Examples:
– Advertising Age
– Library Journal
– Modern Plastics
• Characteristics:
– Written for professionals in
the field
– Current trends and practices
– Meetings, jobs, personalities
7. Popular: Magazines
• Examples:
– Sports Illustrated
– Parenting
– Martha Stewart Living
• Characteristics:
– Lower reading level
– Tips, how to, recipes
– Targeted to specific consumer groups
8. Popular: News Magazines
• Examples:
– Time
– Newsweek
– U.S. News & World Report
• Characteristics
– Non-technical language
– Current events overviews
– Book and movie reviews
9. Popular: Opinion Journals
• Examples:
– National Review
– Christianity Today
– New Republic
• Characteristics:
– Educated audience
– Particular viewpoint
– Commentary on politics and
society
10. Popular: Newspapers
• Examples:
– New York Times
– Wall Street Journal
– Detroit News
• Characteristics:
– Current information
– News stories and features
– Opinion and commentary
11. Questions?
Ask a reference librarian!
Phone: 517-750-6742
OR 800-968-9103 ext. 1742
Email: saulibrary@gmail.com
