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Kinds of Information
   Background vs. In-Depth
   Scholarly vs. Popular
   Primary vs. Secondary

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Scholarly journals exist to advance knowledge in a discipline by presenting new research findings. The articles are written by scholars in specific fields of study. The articles are also intended to engage an educated audience in conversation. They build on previous research and provoke responses in the form of more research.
Examples: American Historical Review, New England Journal of Medicine

Popular magazines exist to inform, persuade, or entertain. Staff writers and freelance authors write the articles which tend to be informal and easy to read. The articles are often accompanied by colorful, eye-catching illustrations. Popular magazines tend to be full of glossy ads and are widely available.
Examples: Time, Vogue, Newsweek

The following tables include hints to help you distinguish scholarly journals from popular magazines.

Comparing Articles

	Scholarly Journal	Popular Magazine
Purpose	Present new research findings	Inform, persuade, or entertain
Author	Scholars listed with credentials	Journalists, staff, or free-lance writers
Publication Process	Refereed (reviewed by other scholars)	Edited
Structure	Often has title, abstract, introduction, review of literature, methods, findings, discussion, and conclusion	Varies
Style	Formal	Informal
Support of Arguement	Research built on prior research	Confirmed sources

Comparing Journals and Magazines as a Whole

	Scholarly Journal	Popular Magazine
Purpose	Advance knowledge in a field	Inform, persuade, or entertain
Scope	Limited to a field of study, or narrower	Varies
Publisher	Academic presses and learned associations; some for profit	For-profit publishers
Audience	Scholars, students, and practitioners	Public-at-large
Availability	Membership in an association, or library subscription	Widely available by subscription or purchase
Appearance	Plain, except in visual fields	Eye-catching visuals and advertising