View this video created by Vanderbilt University that describes how to distinguish between Scholarly vs. Popular periodical articles.

What are Periodicals?

Manhattanville Library subscribes to numerous periodicals in paper and electronic formats. Periodicals include journals, magazines and newspapers that are published at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.).

Periodicals are valuable sources of information for a variety of reasons. They provide:

• Current information and statistics
• Information specific to your topic
• Research studies
• Opinions on current issues
• References to other sources
• Book, film and music reviews

Types of Periodicals

After you have identified the type of information you require for your assignment, find the appropriate publication in which to find this information. It is convenient to separate periodicals into four main groups:

1.         Scholarly journals

2.         Trade journals

3.         Opinion magazines

4.         Popular magazines and newspapers

Scholarly Journal

Articles in scholarly journals:

• are written by experts in a particular field;
• often include reports of original research;
• may be peer-reviewed or refereed, meaning the articles have gone through a critical selection process by scholars in the field;
• usually include an introductory abstract;
• include citations and bibliographies;
• are considered primary source material if presenting results from the author's original research;
• use a specialized vocabulary;
• tend to have more specific and descriptive titles based on the subject being discussed. For example:
  • "Sustainable Transport for the Developing World: the Social and Environmental Nexus."
  • "Homicide and Suicide Rates Associated With Implementation of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act."

Trade Magazines

Articles in trade magazines:

• are written by engineers, technicians, and trades people for peers working in the same industry or profession;
• are narrow in scope; the intent is to address policy issues or share information related to the field;
• include graphics and related product advertising;

These publications are useful for profession or industry news, related government regulations, market data, product development information, employment opportunities, and calendars of related events.

Opinion Magazines

Articles in opinion magazines:

• fall somewhere between popular and scholarly periodicals;
• are intended for the educated reader, but not necessarily the scholar;
• contain opinions or viewpoints on cultural or political affairs, often with particular bias;

These publications are useful for comparing points of view.

Popular Magazines and Newspapers

Articles in popular magazines and newspapers:

• cover current events, issues and activities;
• are targeted toward a general audience, therefore are often broad in treatment and easy to read;
• usually include advertising;
• do not usually provide references (i.e. a bibliography);
• are written by journalists and staff writers who may consult with experts;

These publications may include opinions on current issues; however, most news-oriented magazines and newspapers try to present unbiased information;

NOTE: Please be aware that these journal categories are somewhat arbitrary. You still need to use your own critical skills to distinguish between editorials, letters, reviews, and research material, regardless of the category of journal in which the work appears.

Other types of materials: These guidelines cover so-called print or digital copies of publications.  There are many other formats of information including blogs, tweets, websites, memes, etc.  The assignment requirements and the context for using the information will determine the kind of information needed and the appropriate format.