Grateful acknowledgement to the Undergraduate Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for permission to use and modify their template
The table below lists some of the distinguishing characteristics among different types of periodicals. Keep in mind:
If you are still unsure whether a periodical is considered an academic/scholarly journal, check with your instructor concerning the suitability of a source for your assignment.
For help making decisions for online full-text articles see: Is it scholarly? Distinguishing online periodical types .
CRITERIA | Scholarly Journals (also called academic, peer-reviewed, and refereed) |
Professional and Trade Periodicals |
Popular and Special Interest Magazines |
Purpose for Publication |
|
|
|
General Characteristics |
|
|
|
Frequency of Publication |
|
|
|
Author Information |
|
|
|
Article Characteristics |
|
|
|
Words and Jargon Used |
|
|
|