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			 Characteristics  | 
			
			 Scholarly Journal Article  | 
			
			 Professional/Trade Article  | 
		
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			 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  | 
		
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			 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  | 
		
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			 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  | 
		
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			 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  | 
		
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			 Slant  | 
			
			 Supposed to present objective/neutral viewpoint;  | 
			
			 Reports on problems or issues in the field  | 
		
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			 Editors  | 
			
			 Often peer-reviewed. Reviewed by experts in the field.  | 
			
			 Reviewed by editors on staff  | 
		
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			 Format/Structure  | 
			
			 Articles usually structured, may include: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography  | 
			
			 Articles do not necessarily follow a specific format or structure  | 
		
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			 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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