| Category | Scholarly | Trade | Popular |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Researchers, scholars, and experts | People in the field, specialized journalists | Journalists |
| Length | longer, in-depth articles | some lengthy, mostly shorter articles | short, a few pages at most |
| Language | uses vocabulary of the discipline | uses the jargon of the field | simple, general vocabulary |
| Publisher | university & scholarly presses, professional organizations | professional organizations and trade publishers | commercial and trade publishers |
| Sources | bibliography always included | usually cited, not as extensive | generally, no citations |
| Graphics | charts, tables, almost no advertisements | some illustrations & ads related to the profession | lots of photographs and advertisements |
| Intended Value | to share original research with other scholars | trends, news and information for the field | current events, news, popular culture, and entertainment |
| Examples | Foreign Affairs, Journal of Educational Psychology, American Economic Review | Farm Industry News, Automotive News, Library Journal | Time, Newsweek, People, US News & World Report |
*It is important to note that Trade Publications have some overlap with popular sources, historically or in its readership!
Trade publications are neither considered academic or popular; they are resources written for those who work in a specific industry. These publications tend to publish news, statistics, trends and other information relevant to their industry. Authors can be staff editors, journalists, practitioners or academics in the field. They made be published by trade or professional associations. Articles may be short and may not include references, or not nearly as many references as scholarly journal articles.
Examples of trade publications include:
Some databases have a search limiter for trade publications
Adapted from: https://library.ncu.edu/researchprocess/academicandpopular
Compiled by: Jenni Burke, Science Librarian, Butler University
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