| Characteristic |
Juried, Peer Reviewed or Scholarly Journal |
Popular Magazine |
| Title |
- Often called "Journal of...", "Bulletin of....." or may name a specialist organization
|
- Short and easy to remember (e.g. Time, Maclean's, New Yorker)
|
| Appearance |
- Serious looking, mainly text with charts and tables.
|
- Attractive, eye-catching graphics, shorter articles, pictures, advertising.
|
| Content |
- Original scholarly research or experiments including abstracts, methodology
- Literature reviews, reviews of scholarly books.
- Must meet strict guidelines for format and style.
|
- Variety of articles and opinion pieces. Up to date articles on current and popular topics.
- Different styles of writing.
|
| Author |
- Expert in the field, affiliated with an institution or university.
- Author's credentials usually listed.
|
- Professional writer or journalist. Unsigned articles by staff writers.
|
| Tone |
- Factual, formal, unemotional, scientific, detached.
- Uses specialized language of the subject.
|
- Accessible language. Entertaining.
|
| Intended audience |
- Specialists, academics, researchers, post-secondary students.
|
- General reader. Enthusiasts or hobbyists with common interest. (e.g. cyclist or craftsperson).
- A specific demographic group (e.g. women or teens)
|
| Credibility |
- Articles reviewed by a panel of experts before acceptance for publication. (juried, refereed, peer reviewed).
- Specific sources used in research are included in citations, footnotes, bibliography or reference list.
|
- Checked for accuracy by the editor, but bibliography or source list rarely provided.
|
