| Scholarly Journals | Refereed Journals | Popular Magazines | Trade Magazines |
| Peer Reviewed by three or four qualified peers. Articles evaluated for quality. | Reviewed by an expert in the field, but not as rigorously evaluated as scholarly journals. | Feature writers; columns, some paid or invited authors. | Writers include reporters, practitioners and professionals within a specific industry |
| Bibliographies or references always included. | May include short bibliographies. | Usually do not have bibliographies or references. | Usually do not have bibliographies or references. |
| In-depth, articles, more than 5 pages in length. | Articles between 3-7 pages. | Articles between 1-5 pages. | Length of articles vary from brief news to in-depth analysis. |
| Authors are experts in field. | Authors are experts in the field. | Authors may have expertise in the field, or may be generalists | Authors have practical knowledge of the field. |
| Audience is the scholarly reader: Professors, Researchers, Students | Audience may be specialists in the field or the general public. | Audience is the general public. | Audience includes practitioners and professionals in the field |
| Written in jargon of field for others with similar backgrounds. | Written for experts in the field or for general population with an interest in the subject. | Popular, written for anyone to understand. | Written for practitioners and professionals in the industry/field. |
| Illustrations support text: maps tables, photographs | Illustrations support the text but may be more appealing than those in scholarly publications. | Often profusely illustrated for marketing appeal | Pictures support text: statistical data, manufactured goods, products, patents, etc. |
| Examples: Art History, Social Work Quarterly; Science | Examples: American Prospect, Art Education, BioCycle | Examples: Time, Newsweek, Redbook, Psychology Today, Popular Science, PC Magazine | Examples: Chronicle for Higher Education, Night Club and Bar Magazine, PC Week, |
Peggy Keeran, March 2001