Popular, Scholarly, or Trade?
- Characteristics of Popular, Scholarly, and Trade Sources
- Peer Review
An important part of gathering andevaluating sourcesfor research projects is knowing the difference between popular, scholarly, and trade publications.
- Popular magazinearticlesare typically written by journalists to entertain or inform a general audience,
- Scholarlyarticles are written by researchers or experts in a particular field. They use specialized vocabulary,have extensive citations, and are often peer-reviewed.
- Trade publicationsmay be written by experts in a certain industry, but they are not considered scholarly, as they share general news, trends, and opinions, rather than advanced research, and are not peer-reviewed.
The physical appearanceof print sources can help you identify the type of source as well.Popular magazines and trade publications are usually glossy with many photos. Scholarly journals are usually smaller and thicker with plain covers and images, In electronic sources you can check for bibliographies and author credentials or affiliations as potential indicators of scholarly sources.
| Popular Magazines | Scholarly (including peer-reviewed) | Trade Publications | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content | Currentevents;general interest articles | Research results/reports;reviews of research (review articles); book reviews | 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 on Publisher Site | 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 |
| Examples in Library Databases | Time; Rolling Stone; New Yorker | Journal of Southern History; Developmental Psychology; American Literature; New England Journal of Medicine | Pharmacy Times; Oil and Gas Investor Magazine |
*Ads will not be visible when viewing articles through a library database
Peer review is a process scholarly articles go through before they are published. Scholarly articles are sent to other experts in the field (peers) to ensure that they contain high-quality, original research important to the field.This is a measure of quality control other types of literature don't go through.
If you can't tell whether or not a journal is peer-reviewed, check Ulrichsweb.
- access the database
- type in the title of the journal
- peer-reviewed journals will have a referee jersey ("refereed" is another term for "peer-reviewed") - example below
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Now, let's break down the information provided in the article:
Characteristics of Popular, Scholarly, and Trade Sources
1. Popular Magazines:
- Content: Current events, general interest articles.
- Purpose: To inform, entertain, or elicit an emotional response.
- Author: Staff writers, journalists, freelancers.
- Audience: General public.
- Review: Staff editor.
- Citations: May not have citations or may be informal.
- Frequency: Weekly/monthly.
- Ads: Numerous ads for a variety of products.
- Examples: Time, Vogue, Rolling Stone, New Yorker.
2. Scholarly (including peer-reviewed) Journals:
- Content: Research results/reports, reviews of research, book reviews.
- Purpose: To share research or scholarship with the academic community.
- Author: Scholars/researchers.
- Audience: Scholars, researchers, students.
- Review: Editorial board made up of other scholars and researchers. Some articles are peer-reviewed.
- Citations: Bibliographies, references, endnotes, footnotes.
- Frequency: Quarterly or semi-annually.
- Ads: Minimal, usually only for scholarly products like books.
- Examples: Journal of Southern History, Developmental Psychology, American Literature, New England Journal of Medicine.
3. Trade Publications:
- Content: Articles about a certain business or industry.
- Purpose: To inform about business or industry news, trends, or products.
- Author: Staff writers, business/industry professionals.
- Audience: Business/industry professionals.
- Review: Staff editor.
- Citations: Few, may or may not have any.
- Frequency: Weekly/monthly.
- Ads: Ads are for products geared toward specific industry.
- Examples: Pharmacy Times, Oil and Gas Investor Magazine.
Additional Tips:
- Physical appearance of print sources: Popular magazines and trade publications are glossy with many photos; scholarly journals are usually smaller and thicker with plain covers.
- Electronic sources: Check for bibliographies and author credentials or affiliations as potential indicators of scholarly sources.
- Peer Review: Scholarly articles go through a peer-review process before being published, ensuring high-quality and original research.
Note on Peer Review:
- Peer review is a crucial quality control process for scholarly articles.
- Scholarly articles undergo scrutiny by other experts in the field (peers) to ensure their validity and importance.
- If unsure about whether a journal is peer-reviewed, you can check Ulrichsweb or access the database, where peer-reviewed journals will be indicated with a referee jersey ("refereed" is another term for "peer-reviewed").
This comprehensive breakdown should equip you with the knowledge needed to discern between popular, scholarly, and trade sources, enhancing the reliability and credibility of your research.
