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Characteristics |
Scholarly Journal Article |
Professional/Trade Article |
|
Length |
Articles are usually 10 pages or more in length; providing in-depth analysis of topics |
Shorter articles (less than 10 pages), providing broader overview of topics |
|
Written by |
Author usually an expert or specialist in the field, name and credentials always provided |
Typically written by people working in the field or by staff writers with expertise in the field |
|
Language/Written for |
Written in technical language for professors, researchers, students of the field |
Written in the jargon of the field for practitioners in the field |
|
Coverage |
Original research results and scholarship |
Typically discuss practical applications; cover news in the field; may present brief research results but generally doesn't present original research or theories; includes opinions about trends, events, and industry/forecasts; reports on problems or issues |
|
Slant |
Supposed to present objective/neutral viewpoint; |
Reports on problems or issues in the field |
|
Editors |
Often peer-reviewed. Reviewed by experts in the field. |
Reviewed by editors on staff |
|
Format/Structure |
Articles usually structured, may include: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography |
Articles do not necessarily follow a specific format or structure |
|
Special Features |
Illustrations that support the text, such as, tables of statistics, graphs, diagrams, maps, or photographs. Many references or footnotes |
Professional or trade-specific advertisements, some illustrations for aesthetic purposes Few or no references or footnotes |
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