An important part of gathering and evaluating sources for research projects is knowing the difference between popular, scholarly, and trade publications.
| Popular Magazines | Scholarly (including peer-reviewed) | Trade Publications | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content |
Current events; general interest articles |
Research results/reports; reviews of research (review articles); theoretical discussions |
Articles about a certain business or industry |
| Purpose | To inform, entertain, or elicit an emotional response | To share research or scholarship with the academic community | To inform about business or industry news, trends, or products |
| Author | Staff writers, journalists, freelancers | Scholars/researchers | Staff writers, business/industry professionals |
| Audience | General public | Scholars, researchers, students | Business/industry professionals |
| Review | Staff editor | Editorial board made up of other scholars and researchers. Some articles are peer-reviewed | Staff editor |
| Citations | May not have citations, or may be informal (ex. according to... or links) | Bibliographies, references, endnotes, footnotes | Few, may or may not have any |
| Frequency | Weekly/monthly | Quarterly or semi-annually | Weekly/monthly |
| Ads* | Numerous ads for a variety of products | Minimal, usually only for scholarly products like books | Ads are for products geared toward specific industry |
| Examples | Time; Vogue; Rolling Stone; New Yorker | Journal of Southern History; Developmental Psychology; American Literature; New England journal of Medicine | Pharmacy Times; Oil and Gas Investor Magazine; Designer Magazine |
*Ads may not be visible when viewing articles through a library database
The content on this page was created by the UT Austin Library and is licensed under Creative Commons.
Identify whether each of these articles is a popular, scholarly, or trade publication:
