The thousands of periodicals in the Auburn University Libraries form a continuum ranging from "popular" magazines through "trade/technical" publications to "scholarly/professional/refereed" journals. It is important to know the difference. The following chart lists the typical characteristics of these three kinds of periodicals. Evaluating a periodical by these criteria should allow for the choice of appropriate sources for various types of assignments. Keep in mind, however, that some periodicals defy easy categories.
|
Publisher
|
POPULAR
|
TRADE/PROFESSIONAL
|
SCHOLARLY |
|
commercial firm
|
commercial firm or association
|
university or association
(large scientific/academic publishers) |
|
|
Frequency
|
weekly,biweekly, or monthly
|
weekly, biweekly, or monthly
|
quarterly
|
|
Audience
|
general readers
|
special readers (persons employed in that field)
|
special readers (academics & researchers)
|
|
Appearance
|
colorful, illustrated
|
colorful, illustrated
|
plain, mostly text
|
|
Article Type
|
short, nontechnical w.photos & graphics
|
short, technical w. photos & graphics
|
long, research style w. tables & charts
|
|
Writing Style
|
informal, journalistic
|
informal, journalistic
|
formal and/or scientific
|
|
Authors
|
staff writers
|
staff writers & persons employed in that field
|
academics and researchers
|
|
News Content
|
covers broad issues and popular and/or business affairs
|
covers narrow trade or professional issues
|
NO news coverage
|
|
Advertising
|
ads for business or consumer products
|
ads for specialized trade/professional products &
services
|
ads for books, if any
|
|
Research Apparatus
|
none
|
none
|
extensive bibliographies & advanced statistics
|
|
Examples
|
Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, People, Newsweek,
National Geographic, The Economist
|
Advertising Age, Variety, Billboard, Mediaweek, Public Relations Review
|
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Critical Studies in Media Communication, Journal of Public Relations Research
|
