Scholarly Journals Chart

Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Magazine Articles

Criteria	Scholarly Journals	Popular Magazines
Author	Scholars in the field; institutional affiliation and credentials are given	Often journalists or staff writers
Audience	Researchers, scholars, professionals	General public
Editors	Article is usually reviewed by a board of experts in the field	Article is usually evaluated by an editor on staff
Article style / language	Specialized language written in the jargon of the field	Everyday language
Content	Research, theory, studies	News, general interest
Format	Article usually includes the following elements: Thesis statement, In-text citations, Methodology, Results, Conclusion, References / Bibliography	Does not follow a specific format
Documentation	Bibliography, references, works cited	None
Advertisements	Few or none	Numerous ads
Appearance	Plain cover, black and white charts and tables	Glossy pictures in color
Examples	Journal of Experimental Social Psychology Nature Journal of Advanced Nursing	Maclean's Psychology Today Sports Illustrated
* Note: The terms scholarly, peer-reviewed and refereed are all similar in meaning.