Peer-review is when a panel of scholars review an article before it is published to determine if the article is accurate and that it will advance the thinking within the discipline. This panel of scholars are peers of the article's author. Journals published by professional associations or a university press often require peer-review before publication.
Peer-reviewed journals are also called scholarly or refereed (as opposed to popular magazines (e.g. Rolling Stone, Psychology Today, Vogue, etc.) and trade journals (Pharmacy Times, Publisher's Weekly, Design World, etc.).
How do you know if a journal has an editorial board? Look it up in Ulrichsweb, a library database that contains information about journals and other kinds of periodicals. For print copies, you can look in the front section of the journal.
When conducting research it is important to distinguish between journal articles and magazine articles. Journal articles are typically referred to as "scholarly," while magazine articles are usually considered "popular". A third category, "trade" magazines or journals, are written for professionals in a particular field but are not strictly research related. Below are additional criteria to consider when differentiating between journals and magazines.
Criteria | Scholarly Journal | Trade Journal/Magazine | Popular Magazine |
---|---|---|---|
Sample Title |
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|
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Audience | Academics, researchers, students | People in the business, professionals | General public |
Authors |
Experts or specialists, professors. Unpaid. |
Staff writers, industry specialists, vendor representatives. Paid. |
Journalists, staff writers, freelance writers. Paid. |
Editorial/Review |
Editorial board and peer review. Unpaid. Edited for content, format, and style. |
Professional editors. Paid. Not peer reviewed; edited for format and style. |
Professional editors. Paid. Edited for format and style. |
References | Required. | Occasional, brief lists. | Rare. |
Content | In-depth, primary account of original findings written by the researcher(s); very specific information with the goal of scholarly communication. | Current news, trends, and products in a specific industry; practical information for professionals working in the field or industry. | Secondary discussion of someone else's research; may include personal narrative or opinion; general information with the purpose of entertaining. |
Language | Specialized terminology or jargon of the field; requires expertise in the subject area. | Specialized terminology or jargon of the field, but not as technical as a scholarly journal. | General use vocabulary; easily understood to most readers. |
Graphics | Graphs, charts, and tables; very few advertisements and photographs. | Photographs; some graphics and charts; advertisements targeted to professional field. | May have graphs, charts, and tables; lots of glossy advertisements and photographs. |
Layout & Organization |
Structured; includes an abstract, goals and objectives, methodology, results or evidence, discussion, conclusion, and references. | Informal; evidence is drawn from personal experience or common knowledge. | Informal; may include non-standard formatting. May not have supporting evidence or a conclusion. |
Other Examples |
Journal of Mathematics Education |
Architectural Record PC World Restaurant Business American Libraries Psychology Today School Band and Orchestra |
Sports Illustrated National Geographic Newsweek Ladies Home Journal Cooking Light Discover |
Based on Scholarly vs. Popular Materials by Amy VanScoy, NCSU Library
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