Scholarly journals and popular magazines differ in their authors, peer review process, advertising, illustrations, language, and indexing. Scholarly journals have expert authors who cite sources, go through peer review, focus on informing research with diagrams and graphs, use disciplinary jargon, and are published by universities and indexed in subject indexes. Popular magazines have generalist staff writers who may not cite sources, contain advertisements, entertain with colorful illustrations, use simple language, and are published for profit and indexed in popular indexes.

1. Scholarly Journals and Popular Magazines By Aparna Zambare

2. What is the Difference? Scholarly: Authors are authorities in their fields/specialists/ experts/scholars/ researchers Include author’s credentials Popular: Authors are magazine staff members or free lance writers/ generalists Often exclude author’s credentials

3. Difference…. Scholarly: Authors cite their sources in endnotes, footnotes, or bibliographies Popular: Authors mention sources but seldom cite them in formal bibliographies

4. Difference …. Scholarly: Articles go through peer-review process Almost no advertising and color Popular: No peer-review process Contain numerous advertisements and color

5. Difference …. Scholarly: Articles inform or report research Illustrations – in the form of charts, diagrams, or graphs to explain research Popular: Articles normally entertain Illustrations - Numerous and colorful to add marketing appeal

6. Difference …. Scholarly: Language – Use of jargon specific to the particular discipline Often have an abstract at the beginning of the article Popular: Language – Simple and everyday Rarely contain abstracts

7. Difference …. Scholarly: Often published by professional organization or university Indexed in subject indexes, such as MLA, PsychInfo . . . Popular: Published for profit Indexed in popular indexes