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Evaluating Periodicals: Scholarly & Popular Publications

This guide describes the differences in scholarly journal articles, popular magazines, newspaper articles, and trade publications.

About

Scholarly periodicals are usually referred to as "journals," rather than "magazines" - though you will find that there are some exceptions to this rule.  A scholarly publication may also be called an "academic" or a "peer-reviewed" publication.  Scholarly articles tend to be written by experts in their field.  Scholarly publications report research on a variety of disciplines, utilize primary resources, and typically require a peer-review process. 

Popular periodicals are most often called "magazines," and sometimes referred to as "general interest."  They can be informative, but are usually more geared towards entertaining.  Like scholarly journals, popular magazines can cover a range of subjects or focus on one.  An article in a popular magazine is written for a wide audience who does not have to necessarily be familiar with the subject field to understand and enjoy what is being written.

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Scholarly journals typically cannot be purchased in regular book stores or magazine racks and are mainly found in academic libraries and online repositories.  Online access is usually not free.  This is because scholarly journals are published by professional organizations; memberships or subscriptions are usually required to view an article in its entirety.  Library patrons can utilize the UCNJ catalog and databases to access hundreds of thousands of scholarly journals for free!

Scholarly Journals from the UCNJ Libraries

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

A scholarly article will usually contain:

  • A clearly stated:
    • Title
    • Author(s), and the author(s)' credentials
  • An Abstract
  • An Introduction
  • In-text citations or footnotes
  • Charts, graphs, or illustrations
  • A Conclusion
  • A Bibliography (References/Works Cited)

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article - North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries

Popular Magazine Covers

Popular periodical covers typically have photographs or illustrations, bold typography, and eye-catching headlines.

Scholarly Journal Covers

Scholarly periodical covers are usually plain and professional looking, with uniform type and formatting.  Any images will have minimal design.

Popular Magazines from the UCNJ Libraries

  • Ebony - UCNJ Libraries have full text coverage for this magazine from January 1989- March 2019
  • People - UCNJ Libraries have full text coverage for this magazine from January 1994- present
  • Time - UCNJ Libraries have full text coverage for this magazine from March 1923- present
  • The New Yorker - UCNJ Libraries have full text coverage for this magazine from January 1978- present
  • Rolling Stone - UCNJ Libraries have full text coverage for this magazine from August 1990- present
  • Good Housekeeping - UCNJ Libraries have full text coverage for this magazine from January 1885- December 1950; January 1996- present
  • Sports Illustrated - UCNJ Libraries have full text coverage for this magazine from August 1954- present
  • Entertainment Weekly - UCNJ Libraries have full text coverage for this journal from December 1993- April 2022

Citations

1957 Special Holiday Issue Sports Illustrated Cover Framed Print. [Image]. (1957). Sports Illustrated Covers. https://sicovers.com/featured/1957-special-holiday-issue-december-23-1957-sports-illustrated-cover

[Cover for the February 12, 2024 issue of Time Magazine]. (2024). Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/TIME-MAGAZINE-JANUARY-FEBRUARY-CHLOE/dp/B09RCTMR8S

[Cover of the International Journal of Middle East Studies, Volume 15, Issue 2, May 1983]. (1983). Cambridge Core. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-middle-east-studies

[Cover for the Summer 2023 issue of the American Journal of Psychology]. (2023). University of Illinois Press. https://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals

[Cover for the Volume 1, Issue 1, 2015, of the International Naval Journal]. (2015). International Naval Journal. https://inj.cherkasgu.press

The New Yorker Cover - December 8th, 1980 Art Print. [Image]. (1980). Fine Art America. https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-new-yorker-cover-december-8th-1980-jean-jacques-sempe.html?product=art-print

A Star Is Born Michael Jordan Lights Up The NBA Sports Illustrated Cover. [Image]. (1984). Sports Illustrated Covers. https://sicovers.com/featured/a-star-is-born-michael-jordan-lights-up-the-nba-december-10-1984-sports-illustrated-cover.html

I’m Back From the Dead. [Image]. (1965). A Collection of Ridiculous Celebrity National Enquirer Covers, 1960s. https://dangerousminds.net/comments/a_collection_of_ridiculous_celebrity_national_enquirer_covers_1960s

Volume 2, Number 1: Good housekeeping. [Image] (1885). Cornell Libraries. https://reader.library.cornell.edu/docviewer/digital?id=hearth6417403_1296_002#mode/1up

UCNJ LibGuides at Union College