Scholarly Journals & Popular Magazines

Scholarly journals are subject-oriented periodicals normally published monthly, quarterly or annually. Journal titles often contain one of the following words: Journal, Review, Studies, Notes, Annals, Archives, Quarterly.

Examples:

  • Journal of Abnormal Psychology
  • Modern Fiction Studies
  • Notes and Queries
  • Review of Higher Education
  • Film Quarterly

 

Popular magazines are general interest, entertainment or culture-related periodicals published weekly or monthly. Magazines are available for purchase by the issue at newstands.

Examples:

  • Time
  • Fortune
  • Vanity Fair
  • Good Housekeeping
  • Psychology Today

 

Professional, trade and technical periodicals contain articles written by occupational or technical specialists to note important issues or advances in their fields.

Examples:

  • American Machinist
  • Hotel and Motel Management
  • Real Estate Forum
  • Research and Development
  • Restaurant Business

 

Characteristics of Journals and Magazines

JOURNALS

  • Longer articles
  • Few or no photographs
  • Contain references
  • Plain format

MAGAZINES

  • 1 or 2 page articles
  • Many color photos
  • No references
  • Glossy format

 

What kinds of periodicals are in Library databases?

A Select Guide
SCHOLARLY DATABASES

GENERAL DATABASES
(contain articles from both scholarly journals and popular magazines)

 

Lexis Nexis Academic (contains magazines, trade publications, newspapers and scholarly journals, especially the Law Review section of the Legal Research database. Ask a librarian if you are not sure which part of Lexis Nexis to use.

 

MAGAZINE DATABASES

  • Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature
  • Sociological Abstracts

 

 

Thomas Trone

Spring 2002