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Hate Crimes, Genocide & Holocaust: Scholarly Vs Popular

Popular Magazine

Cover of Vogue magazine

Popular Magazine

What Is the Content?

Articles (usually brief) about a variety of topics -news, sports, art, fashion, etc.

Articles are written in simple language for the general public.

What Is the Purpose?

To entertain, provide news and/or information about a hobby or special interest, promote a viewpoint.

Examples

Rolling Stone, Time, Vogue, Sports Illustrated, People, Better Homes & Gardens.

Who does write for them?

Writers, usually professional journalists, who are not necessarily experts on the article's topic.

Author's information is often listed.

Do they cite their sources?

Writers rarely cite their sources.

How do they look?

Generally contain lots of photos and advertisements, perfume samples, coupons. Cover picture usually occupies the whole cover and article tiles come in different sizes.

What is their review process?

Articles are reviewed by the magazine's editorial staff, for spelling, grammar, etc.

Technical/Trade Journal

Cover of National Paralegal Reporter magazine

Technical/Trade Journal

What is the content?

Practical information for professionals in the field – news, trends, and other updates.

Articles are generally brief and the language is straightforward, but may contain professional jargon.

What is the purpose?

Report on trends in the profession and give practical advice to professionals and other interested readers.

Examples

Construction Bulletin, The CPA Journal, Gastronomica, Legal Assistant Today.

Who does write for them?

Professional or experts in the field. 

Author’s credentials are usually listed with article.

Do they cite their sources?

Sometimes sources and bibliographies are given

How do they look?

Often look more like popular magazines, with glossy pictures. Articles may have graphs and charts. The ads are related to the trade.

What is their review process?

Articles are reviewed by the magazine’s editorial staff, for spelling, grammar, etc. Some articles go through a sort of peer review process.

Scholarly Journal

Cover of Journal of Business Strategy and Execution

Scholarly/Peer-reviewed Journal

What is the content?

Articles that present original research studies. Reviews of books relevant to scholars in the field. 

Language is very technical, and authors assume some scholarly background of the reader. 

Tend to be long articles.

What is the purpose?

To make the information available to the rest of the scholarly world.

Examples

Child Development, JAMA; the Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal for the Study of Religion Nature and Culture.

Who does write for them?

An expert or team of experts in the particular topic of study.

 Author’s credentials are usually listed with the article.

Do they cite their sources?

Sources and references are always cited with a footnote or a bibliography.

How do they look?

Have a basic, serious look and often contain many graphs and charts, but few glossy pages or colorful pictures.

What is their review process?

Scholarly articles go through a peer review process where other scholars in the field evaluate the content of the article. The articles are edited for grammar, format, etc.