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CHARACTERISTICS |
SCHOLARLY/PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS |
GENERAL MAGAZINES |
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How to tell the difference between these two types of periodicals: |
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Content |
Reports on original research; in-depth analysis of topics; statistical information; academic level book reviews; refereed or peer-reviewed |
Current events and news; hot topics; brief, factual information; interviews |
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Length |
Longer articles providing in-depth analysis of topics |
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Authorship |
Author usually an expert or specialist in the field; name and credentials always provided - researchers, academics, professors, scholars |
Author usually a staff writer or a journalist; name and credentials often not provided |
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Language |
Academic level writing & vocabulary; specialized language of the discipline; can be highly technical |
Non-technical vocabulary; often simple language |
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Format/Structure |
Articles usually more structured; may include these sections: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography |
Articles do not necessarily follow a specific format or structure |
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Editors |
Editors/reviewers are experts in the same field as author(s); many participate in peer-review process prior to publication; rigorous publication standards; articles checked for content, format and style |
Editors not academic experts in subject field of article; article topics often assigned or contracted; articles usually only edited for style and format |
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Publishers |
Professional organizations; Universities, research institutes and scholarly presses |
Commercial/trade publishers; corporate ownership |
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Special Features |
Illustrations that support the text, such as tables of statistics, graphs, maps, or photographs |
Illustrations with glossy or color photographs, usually for advertising purposes |
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Credits |
A bibliography (works cited) and/or footnotes are always provided to document research thoroughly |
A bibliography (works cited) is usually not provided; names of reports or references may be mentioned in the text; sources, when used, are rarely cited in full |
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