Types of Journals
Types of Journals
academic/scholarly journals
trade journals
current affairs/opinion magazines
popular magazines
newspapers
The following table reveals a comparison of the various types of journals available:
ACADEMIC/ CURRENT
POPULAR
FEATURES SCHOLARLY TRADE JOURNALS AFFAIRS/OPINION NEWSPAPERS
MAGAZINES
JOURNALS MAGAZINES
Often devoted to a Cover practical Cover a wide range of Often focused on a Encompass
single discipline or information related to topics of interest to the particular subject current events
subdiscipline. a field or industry. readership. Be aware of or hobby but may in politics, sport,
SUBJECT the predominant also cover a leisure, religion
philosophical/political variety of topics. and business.
stance of the editorial
board.
Articles often No peer review No peer review process. No peer review No peer review
PEER reviewed by an process. process, may be process.
REVIEW author's peers reviewed by an
PROCESS before publication. editor or editorial
board.
Mainly held in Mainly held in libraries Many titles available Available in Available in
libraries or on or on subscription- from major newsagents, supermarkets and newsagents.
subscription-based based databases. public libraries and newsagents.
ACCESS databases - few are Commonly available as some university
freely available on part of professional / libraries.
the WWW. trade association
membership.
Adapted from: Camden-Carroll Library - Access Services, n.d., Distinction among types of periodicals, viewed 18 January
2006, http://www.morehead-st.edu/library/access/index.aspx?id=6859