Scholarly Journals are written by and for scholars, researchers, and professionals in a particular field. Their purpose is to review, report, and make available original research, experimentation, and information. Articles in these journals go through a peer-review or refereed process before publication. Sources are always formally cited.

Professional Trade Journals are often considered scholarly journals. These journals are written for people working in a particular profession and articles may or may not go through a peer-review or refereed process before publication. Sources are usually cited.

Popular Magazines are written to appeal to the general public. Their purpose is to inform and/or entertain. Sources may be mentioned but are not formally cited.

CRITERIA	SCHOLARLY JOURNALS	POPULAR MAGAZINES
PURPOSE	Review, report, and make available original research, experimentation, and information	Inform and/or entertain
AUTHORS & AUDIENCE	Written by and for scholars, researchers, and professionals in a particular field	Written by magazine staff or free-lance writers for the general public
FORMAT	Formal intellectual formats; graphs and charts; scholarly illustrations	Slick and glossy with attractive format; photographs and drawings to enhance their appeal
SOURCES	Usually cite sources with footnotes and/or bibliographies	May mention, but seldom cite, any sources
LANGUAGE	Technical terminology (with which the reader is assumed to be familiar) of the discipline	Informal language appropriate to a broad-based audience
ADVERTISING	May contain selective specialty advertising	Contain extensive advertising
EXAMPLES	Journal of Nutrition American Journal of Education Applied Nursing Research PNAS	Good Housekeeping Newsweek Time Scientific American

Other online explanations of scholarly and popular publications: 

• Comparing Scholarly and Popular Periodicals
• Journals - Scholarly or Popular?
• Scholarly to Popular Continuum