| Characteristics | Scholarly Journal | Professional/Trade |
Popular Magazine/Newspapers |
| 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 | 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 | Author usually a journalist or a staff writer, name and credentials often not provided |
| 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 | Written at high school level for the general public |
| 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 | Popular topics and current events |
| Slant | Usually presents objective/neutral viewpoint | Written in the jargon of the field for practitioners in the field | May reflect the editorial bias/slant of the magazine |
| Frequency | Usually quarterly. Some might be monthly | Varied | Usually weekly |
| Format/Structure | Articles usually structured, may include: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography | Articles do not necessarily follow a specific format or structure | 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 | Professional or trade-specific advertisements | Illustrations, many with color photographs. Magazines generally printed on glossy paper |
| Appearance | Serious and sober, reserved use of color and few or no advertisements | Some illustrations for aesthetic purposes | Magazines usually printed on glossy paper. Newspapers generally printed on thinner paper stocks |
| Editors | Articles usually reviewed and critically evaluated by a board of experts in the field (known as refereed or peer-reviewed) | Reviewed by editors on staff | Reviewed by editors on staff |
| References Cited | Usually includes a bibliography a reference list and/or footnotes | Usually has no bibliography or footnotes | Few or no references or footnotes |
| Examples |
Academy of Management Journal Journal of Business Ethics Journal of Management |
Professional Manager Supervision Training Journal |
Forbes New York Times Wall Street Journal |
The following four criteria can help you to evaluate your sources:
Authority--Who is the author? What is his expertise? Who is the publisher?
Accuracy--Is it well-researched? Is there a bibliography or references so you can locate the original source of the information? Do the facts jive with other sources?
Objectivity--Is there bias? Is the information promoting a specific point of view or is it objective?
Currency--Is the information up-to-date? Is it too dated to be useful?
Thinking about any type of publication, including websites, in this way will help ensure that you have located the best information available.
A Word of Warning!! Just because the library owns a book, it doesn't mean the book qualifies as academic. Use the hints below and in the chart to determine if the book is scholarly/ academic or popular.
Most of the items in the chart can also apply to books. Ask some of the following questions:
Who is the author and is s/he an expert? Read the book jacket or information often located in the beginning or end of the book. Try Google or Amazon to see what else the author might have written and to check his affiliation. Check the online catalog to see if the library has other items written by the author.
Who is the publisher? Do they have a specialty? University presses, some societies, and some associations usually publish academic titles, but some other publishers do as well. Visit their website to see their focus.
Is there a bibliography, references or footnotes?
What is the language of the book? Is it technical or is it for the general public.
Is it well-organized with a clear structure? Does it have a preface, a table of contents, an introduction, an index?
