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PUH 350 -- Public Health & Society: Current Issues: Scholarly vs. Professional

Scholarly vs. Professional

   

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