LibGuides: SOC 240Z: Contemporary Immigration and the Second Generation: Scholarly Journals

Characteristics of scholarly journals

Written or edited by a scholar or expert in the field
Author is identified; contact information is provided. Credentials may be available.
Material is often peer reviewed
Reviewed by experts in the field. Peer review process explained in Instructions for Authors on the journal's Web page.
Sources are cited
Evidence of expert audience such as use of specialized vocabulary specific to the field
Graphics often in the form of tables, charts, and graphs

Sources for finding scholarly publications

Bibliographies
Books or journals from university presses
Publications from scholarly associations
Resource, research, or subject guides from academic libraries
Works cited at the end of journal articles or books

Is this SCHOLARLY material?

Ulrich's Periodicals Directory
When reviewing news, be aware that the information is not classified as scholarly, peer reviewed, or refereed. Ulrich's Periodicals Directory classifies The Chronicle of Higher Education in this manner: Document Type: Newspaper; Trade. Compare this with ASHE Higher Education Report Series, available through both Academic Search database. Document Type: Journal; Academic/Scholarly
Availability through a subscription database does not automatically mean that it is a scholarly article, even if written about academic and scholarly topics.

Comparing Scholarly Journals, Magazines, and Trade Journals

	Scholarly Journals	Magazines	Trade Journals
Advertising	Minimal to none	Significant	Significant
Audience	Students, experts and subject specialists; language used by experts in the field	Consumers or general public; language is meant for a broad audience	Practitioners; those who work in the field; language specific to the profession
Authors	Identified with contact information; expertise identified	May or may not be identified	Typically identified with indication of expertise
Content	Often, standardized sections such as Literature Review, Methodology, Discussion, Conclusion; may be 10-20 pages or more	Typically short articles; may be less than one page	Varies in format, although there may be standard columns in each issue or standard formats
Cover appearance	Plain and consistent appearance; may include Table of Contents; typically will provide volume and other numbers or dates	Glossy covers; photographs; other cover art.	Photographs or art work specific to the field
Graphics	Tables, figures, or graphs are most typical	Full range of graphic art and photography	Mix of business or scholarly graphics and other artwork
Peer reviewed	Look at the journals’ “Instructions for authors.” May be peer reviewed by a panel of experts.	No	Sometimes
Purpose	To report original research or promote critical discussion of a topic	To entertain, inform	To inform practitioners in a field
Titles	May include Advances in, American, Annual, Journal of, Research, Review, Transactions, International	Popular titles, consumer-oriented	Identifies the trade or profession in some way
Examples	Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology Research in Higher Education	Saturday Evening Post Consumer Reports	Food Business News American Libraries