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Scholarly articles are found in scholarly journals which are have different characteristics than magazines or newspapers. All three of these resources are considered periodicals as they are published periodically such as every month, every other month, or quarterly.
Periodicals | Scholarly | Professional/Trade | Popular | Newspapers |
Value & Purpose |
Reports of original research; In-depth analysis of topics; Statistical information |
Current trends; reports from the field; book and resource reviews |
Current events and news; Brief factual information; interviews |
News stories Current information Local and regional focus Analysis and opinion of current events |
Authors |
researchers, academics, scholars with advanced degrees An author or authors are always listed. |
Individuals employed in the field. An author is usually listed. | Journalists; the author may not be named. | Journalists; the author may not be named. |
Language | College-level writing and vocabulary; often uses specialized language of the discipline | Written for those employed in the field Uses professional terminology | Non-technical vocabulary; written for a general audience | Non-technical vocabulary; written for a general audience |
Sources |
Footnotes and bibliographies |
Brief bibliographies some citations |
Often difficult to know what original sources used | Sources rarely cited in full |
Publishers | Professional organizations, universities, research institutes, and scholarly presses |
Professional Organizations Commerical/trade publisher |
Commercial / trade publisher | Commercial / trade publisher |
Graphics | Graphs, charts, and tables Ads are very rare |
Photographs and illustrations | Many graphics and photos Many full-page color ads |
Photos, graphics, and charts Many ads |