| Scholarly Articles | Peer-Reviewed Articles | Trade / Professional Articles | Popular Articles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examples |
Afterall |
Art Journal |
Artforum International |
Time Magazine |
| Content |
Primary account of original research; often includes abstract, method, discussion, tables, conclusions, and references *Not all scholarly articles are peer-reviewed |
Primary account of original research; often includes abstract, method, discussion, tables, conclusions, and references *Content has been reviewed and evaluated for quality by other scholars in the author's field, a process called peer-review. |
General news and updates of issues in the field; lots of images and advertisements. Trade refers to the practitioners in the field who are knowledgeable in their areas and write with authority. Articles are read by magazine staff (editors) primarily for readability and coherence before publication, but not with the same rigor as peer-reviewed (scholarly) articles. |
Current events and news; General information with purpose to entertain or inform; Analyzes of popular culture; Secondary account of someone else's research that may include opinion |
| Language |
Academic, technical jargon that uses the language of the discipline Requires some relevant expertise |
Academic, technical jargon that uses the language of the discipline Requires some relevant expertise |
Specialized jargon or terminology of the field; Written for practitioners/professionals |
Easily understandable, non-technical language; Written for the layperson |
| Authors |
Researchers, scholars, professors, etc Includes author's credentials and institutional affiliation |
Researchers, scholars, professors, etc Includes author's credentials and institutional affiliation |
Magazine staff writers, critics, artists, journalists, practitioners in the field, or journalists with subject expertise |
Journalists or staff writers |
| References | References, footnotes or bibliographies are always included | References, footnotes or bibliographies are always included | References in text or short bibliographies are occasionally included | References are rarely included. |
| Editors | Journal's editorial board | Journal's editorial board in addition to external scholars in the same field | Work for the publisher | Work for the publisher |
| Publishers | Universities, scholarly presses, or academic organizations | Universities, scholarly presses, or academic | Commercial publishers or trade and professional organizations | Commercial publishers |
| Examples Databases | Academic Search Complete, Art Design & Architecture Collection, JSTOR |
Art Full Text, Academic Search Complete, Business Source Elite, Design & Applied Arts Index, Film & Television Literature Index |
Academic Search Complete |
