Comparison Chart

Keeping in mind that the lines drawn between types of periodicals aren't always totally clear-cut, the general characteristics of these three categories of journals are summarized in the chart below:

Comparison Chart: Periodicals - Scholarly or Non-Scholarly?

Characteristics	SCHOLARLY	NON-SCHOLARLY
		General Interest/ Substantive	Popular
Authors	Scholars in the discipline or those who have done extensive research in the field such as university professors or government/research agencies or organizations	Written by magazine's staff (who may or may not be experts on the topic), scholars, or free-lance writers	Written by staff or free-lance writers employed by the publication
Language	Uses language of the discipline, which may be difficult to understand at first, because it may contain specialized, technical or professional language.	Uses language aimed at a general, educated audience	Uses everyday language, or even inflammatory or sensational language aimed at a broad-based audience
Sources	Authors rigorously cite sources in the form of footnotes or bibliographies	May quote other experts on the topic but not explain who they are, or give statistics or "facts", but not say where they came from	Rarely cites sources; original sources can be obscure
Purpose/Audience	Main purpose is to educate; to report on original research or experimentation in order to share with other scholars	Provides general information to a wide audience	Written to entertain, inform, or provoke a reaction
Publisher/Editorial Board	Many are published by a specific professional organization. Editorial board evaluates the article for its quality of writing, rigorous scholarship, analysis, or research and findings before accepting them for publication.	Generally published by commercial enterprises for profit. May have editorial staff employed by the publisher.	Published by commercial enterprises for profit
Peer-reviewed or Refereed	Have a process prior to publishing an article whereby other scholars in the author's field or specialty critically assess article draft.	Not peer-reviewed or refereed	Not peer-reviewed or refereed
Format	Few pictures or photographs, but may have charts, tables, or graphs	Attractive in appearance; includes photographs, illustrations to enhance appeal	Slick and glossy with an attractive format; contains photographs, illustrations to enhance appeal
Examples	Harvard Business Review, Journal of the American Anthropological Society, Modern Fiction Studies, Science	Fortune, New York Times, Scientific American, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic	Better Homes and Gardens, Glamour, Sports Illustrated, Star Weekly

Adapted from: http://library.humboldt.edu/infoservices/scholorpop.htm. Originally written by Martha Johansen, Humboldt State University Library.