Phone: (949) 582-4314
Fax: (949) 364-0284
AV-Periodicals: (949) 582-4563
Circulation/Renewals: (949) 582-4526
Computer Help Desk: (949) 582-4363
Reference: (949) 582-4525

Saddleback College Library

Magazines vs. Journals

How can you tell the difference between these two types of periodical articles?
	Magazines	Scholarly Journals
Audience	Written for the "average" person who doesn't have in-depth knowledge of a topic.	Aimed at professionals, researchers or others with more in-depth knowledge of the topic.
Content	Entertainment, opinion, current topics, quick facts.	Research, analysis, scholarship. Often includes abstract, research methods, conclusion, bibliography.
Length	Shorter articles providing broad overviews of topics.	Longer articles providing in-depth analysis of topics.*
Look	Glossy, color pictures, advertisements.	"Serious" looking, usually with fewer illustrations and advertisements.
Author	Author is usually a staff writer or journalist. The author's name is often not provided.	Authors are usually experts, often university researchers. Authors' credentials are usually included.
Credibility	Articles are generally evaluated by staff editors rather than experts in the field.	Research articles must be reviewed by a "jury" of experts before they are published. Sometimes referred to as "peer-reviewed" or "refereed."*
Examples	Newsweek, Time, Vogue, Psychology Today, Discover	Journal of American History, Science, Foreign Affairs