Scholarly or Academic Journals
- Are written by scholars for scholars.
- Note, however, that popular media and news sources may be primary sources for research.
- Purpose and context are crucial.
- Cite their sources documenting their arguments and data, thereby:
- facilitating the ongoing scholarly conversation;
- giving credit to the work of others.
- Conform to the standards of a scholarly discipline.
- Refereed or Peer-Reviewed Journals
- Are a subset of scholarly journals.
- Are reviewed (refereed) by a panel of scholars (peers) before acceptance to determine if potential articles meet the standards of the discipline and of the journal.
- Are guaranteed to be scholarly.
- For example, Journal of Peace Research.
- Articles in other journals may still be scholarly but lack this "guarantee" -- look for cites and documentation.
Trade or Professional Periodicals
- Written for practitioners or the well-informed public.
- May or may not cite sources.
- Often look like popular periodicals.
- For example, American Libraries or Scientific American.
Popular Magazines and News Sources
- Written by journalists and professional writers for the general public.
- Generally have no documentation beyond an occasional in-text reference.
- Have many glossy ads and colorful illustrations.
- For example, Time Magazine, Paris Match or Cat Fancier's Weekly.
- Exceptions:
- May contain serious, well-informed analysis, e.g. lengthy editorials in the New York Times
- May contain invaluable investigative reporting, e.g. the Watergate series in the Washington Post
