Types of Journals
Use the grid below to help you determine if a journal is a scholarly, trade, or popular publication. You can also use this grid to help you determine if an article retrieved using an online database is scholarly, trade, or popular. If you do not have the entire journal to look at some of the characteristics may not be easily recognizable. Important fields that can still guide you in distinguishing between the different types of publications are publisher, author identification, level of coverage, and bibliographic citations.
| Research/Scholarly Journal |
Professional/ Trade Journal |
Magazine/ Popular | |
| Ex: Journal of Music Therapy |
Ex:The Church Musician |
Ex: Rolling Stone | |
| Publisher | Often a University or Scholarly Association |
Professional or |
Commercial Publisher (with profit motive) |
| Ex: National Association. for Music Therapy |
Ex: Sunday School Board of So. Baptist Convention, Worship & Church Music Div. |
Ex: Straight Arrow Publishers | |
| Intended Audience |
Other researchers or scholars in the field |
Other professionals or practitioners in the field |
Audience often targeted by age, sex, hobby or other interests |
| Ex: Members of the association and interested scholars |
Ex: Music leaders, pastors, music planning groups |
Ex: Those interested in popular culture or entertainment | |
| Author Identification & Qualifications |
Usually provides |
Usually identifies occupation, employer, affiliated institution, educational background, etc. |
Usually signed, no qualifications, often staff or free-lance writers |
| Ex: Affiliated institution & those who make major contributions to research |
Ex: Affiliated institution and career background |
Ex. Most signed, no information given | |
| Level of Coverage |
Primary info source, report of original research, often with a literature review |
Secondary source of info, application of research or successful method of operation |
Informational, "popular" level of writing, may report on research and give overview coverage, read for entertainment |
| Ex: Original Research | Ex: Interviews, "We did it" | Ex: Interviews, reviews | |
| Bibliographic Citations |
Usually extensive bibliographic with literature review of pertinent research |
May cite research articles or books |
May acknowledge source of information in article, usually no bibliographic citations |
| Ex: 2-3 page bibliography |
Ex: bibliography or citations |
Ex: bibliography, an excerpt from a book | |
| Format | Text with charts or graphs, "cheap" paper, not attention getting |
Variety of info, professional |
Attention getting, glossy, |
| Ex: Charts and graphs, non-glossy paper |
Ex: Colorful, attention getting, news of association members |
Ex: Yes | |
| Advertising | No advertising | Ads directed to professionals or practitioners, equipment, supplies, jobs |
Filled with variety of ads, from toothpaste to cars, may also be directed to target audience |
| Ex. No ads | Ex: Few ads directed to church musicians, materials, books, etc. |
Ex: Cigarettes, cars, clothes, electronics, sports equipment, alcohol | |
| Indexing | Often self-indexed at end of volume, indexed in both specific subject and broad discipline indices | May be self-indexed, both specific subject and broad discipline indices, sometimes in comprehensive general index |
Indexed in magazine indices |
| Ex: Specific subject and broad discipline indices | Ex: Self and Christian Periodical Index |
Ex: Reader's Guide and ProQuest |
