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BIO4835 Senior Seminar in Biology and Health Sciences

What Type of Journal Is It?

Knowing the type of journal you are looking at can help you to determine the type of information you will find located within that journal.  This page will cover the basic differences between scholarly, trade, and popular journals.

 Elements  Scholarly Journal  Trade Publication  Popular Magazine
 Appearance 
  • Plain cover
  • Plain paper
  • Primarily black & white
  • Graphs / Charts / Tables
  • Few photographs
  • Few or no advertisements
  • Longer length articles
  • Cover depicts industry
  • Glossy paper
  • Pictures in color
  • Trade-related ads
  • Moderate article length
  • Flashy cover
  • Glossy paper
  • Pictures in color
  • Colorful product ads
  • Short articles
 Audience
  • Academic / Professional
  • Professors
  • Researchers
  • Students   
  • Industry members
  • Professionals in the field
  • General public
  • Non-professionals
 Authors
  • Experts in the field
  • Credentials given
  • Industry specialist
  • Staff writer
  • Authors named
  • Credentials may be given
  • Journalist
  • Staff writer
  • Freelance writer
  • Credentials rarely given
 Content
  • Research projects
  • Methodology
  • Theory   
  • Industry trends
  • Industry products
  • Industry techniques
  • Organizational news
  • Personalities
  • News
  • Opinions
  • General interest
 Language
  • Discipline-specific jargon
  • Title - "Journal," "Bulletin," or "Review"
  • Industry jargon
  • Title includes industry name
  • General audience reading level
 Publishers
  • Professional organizations
  • Scholarly organizations
  • University press
  • Trade organizations   
  • Commercial, for-profit organizations
 References
  • Includes bibliography
  • Includes references
  • Includes notes
  • Includes works cited
  • May include bibliography
  • Rarely cited sources