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Identify Scholarly and Non-Scholarly Periodicals

This guide will allow you to see what the difference is between scholarly and non-scholarly periodicals.

Identifying Process

Purpose and Contents:
  1. Original research or experiments are reported.
  2. Experts in the field write the articles to share with                            other experts in the field.
  3. Articles contain specialized terminology of the field.
  4. Articles are peer-reviewed.
  5. Articles are cited in form of footnotes or bibliographies.
  6. Has few or no advertisements.

** Also known as a Professional Journal.

*Databases often use the terms Refereed

 or Peer-Reviewed to describe these journals. **

Examples:

Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly

American Journal of Nursing

Journal of Marriage and the Family

  

 

Purpose and Contents:

  1. Provides practical information in industry.
  2. Articles contain business news, product information, current trends in technology.
  3. Articles are generally written by experts in the field for other experts in the field.
  4. Contains advertisements for related products.

Examples:

Aviation Week and Space Technology

    
Purpose and Contents:

  1. Information is geared towards a broad audience.

  2. Articles are typically written by editors or freelance writers; they are not peer-reviewed.

  3. Articles tend to include a large number of photographs.

  4. Contains many advertisements for a variety of products.

Examples:

Time

Newsweek

Psychology Today		  
Purpose and Contents:

  1. Articles are short and are written by freelance writers.

  2. The purpose of the magazine is to entertain.

  3. Contains many advertisements for a variety of products.

Examples:

People Weekly

 

Rolling Stone