Consider The Source

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Consider The Source

Scholarly Publication: A guide to the differences between publications

Students often ask, AHow can I tell if this is a scholarly publication?@ Although publications might not meet all of the criteria in the categories below, they essentially all fall into one of the four following types of publications.

  Scholarly Journals
News/General Interest Magazines
Popular Magazines Sensational Publications
 Format has grave, serious format attractive in appearance generally slick/glossy with an attractive format cheap, newspaper format
Graphics graphs and charts to illustrate concepts photos, graphics, and illustrations used to enhance article photos, illustrations and drawings to enhance image of publication contains melodramatics, lurid, or doctored photos
Sources cites sources with footnotes and/or bibliography occasionally cited sources, but not as a rule rarely cited sources, original sources may be obscure rarely cited sources of information
Authors written by scholars or researchers in the field or discipline written for an educated, general audience by staff, free-lance or scholarly writers written by the staff or free-lance writers for a broad audience written by free-lance or staff writers
Language uses terminology, jargon, and the language of the discipline. Reader is assumed to have similar background uses language appropriate for an education readership uses simple language for minimal educational level. Articles are short, with little depth contains language that is simple, easy-to-read and understand. Sensational style is often used
Publication Criteria subject to peer review. Must meet approval of qualified scholars in the field must meet standards of publications and be approved by editors no specific criteria no specific criteria
Purpose to inform, report, or make original research available to the scholarly world provide general information to a wide interested audience designed to entertain or persuade, to sell products or services arouse curiosity and interest by distorting the truth; often features outrageous or startling headlines
Publishers generally published by a professional organization published by commercial enterprises for profit published for profit published for profit
Advertising contains very little, if any, advertising carries extensive advertising contains extensive advertising contains advertising as luring and startling as the stories
Examples Science, Journal of American History, Harvard Business Review, Nature, Scientific American Atlantic Monthly, Newsweek, Fortune, Time, Psychology Today Better Homes & Gardens, Jet, GQ, Glamour, People, O, Sports Illustrated, Prevention Globe, National Enquirer, National Examiner, Sun