Your instructor has asked you to find a "scholarly journal" or "professional journal" as opposed to a popular magazine. No clear-cut definition can be given but the following are some clues to help you distinguish between them.
| MAGAZINES | SCHOLARLY JOURNAL | |
| AUTHOR* | Journalist; layperson; sometimes author unknown may be scholar but not in field covered | Expert, scholar, professor, etc; in field covered identified author |
| NOTES* | Few or no references or notes | Includes notes and/or bibliography |
| STYLE | Journalistic, written for average reader | Written for experts, shows research |
| EDITING | Reviewed by one or more persons employed by magazine | Editorial board of outside scholars review articles before publishing. |
| AUDIENCE | General public | Scholars or researchers in the field |
| ADS | Many, often in color | Few or none; if any, usually look for books and other "scholarly" items |
| LOOK | Glossy, many pictures often in color | More sedate look, mostly print |
| FREQUENCY | Usually weekly or monthly | Usually quarterly or monthly |
| CONTENTS | Current events; general interest | More specialized; research topics |
| INDEXES | Found in general periodical indexes (e.g. Readers Guide) | Found in subject specialized indexes |
A scholarly journal cannot be defined by one or two features nor do all features have to be present to make it a journal. Look for a majority of the traits listed above (those with an * are the most important). If in doubt, ask your instructor or a librarian.
Developed by Chuck Dintrone, Coordinator of Bibliographic Instruction, San Diego State University (3/91)
