Magazine or Journal

The Difference Between a Popular Magazine and a Scholarly Journal

The picture on the left is of three magazines. Magazines publish articles on popular subjects and current events that interest the general public. They will include a number of advertisements.

The picture on the right is of three journals. Scholarly journals are written by academic or professionals in a subject field. The articles that are published in a professional journal are examined by others in their profession to determine if they have the quality necessary to be published. We call this "peer reviewed". The articles may be on very specific topics or may cover research. Journals do not contain advertisements and the articles frequently contain a list of references at the end.