| Journal or Magazine? Here’s how to tell… |  |
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| Scholarly Journal | General Nursing Magazines a.k.a.Trade Publication |
Popular Magazine | |
| Appearance | Articles are research-oriented. Few pictures. Illustrations take the form of charts and graphs. Few ads. | Articles are news-oriented, cover trends in the field, etc. Some illustrations are included, usually charts, graphs, etc. Trade-specific ads. | Articles are meant to inform and entertain. Illustrations are numerous and colorful. Lots of advertising. |
| Audience | Written for experts, researchers, other scholars | Written for professionals within the field or industry (education, business, etc.) | Written for a popular / general audience, or in some cases, an educated layperson |
| Authors | Scholars and researchers. Authors’ credentials are included | Staff writers or contributing authors. Some articles may be anonymous. | Journalists, staff writers, or contributing authors. Some articles may not be credited. |
| Bibliography | Authors cite their sources in endnotes, footnotes, or bibliographies. Often includes an abstract. | Authors often mention sources, but rarely formally cite them in bibliographies. |
Articles almost never have bibliographies. |
| Accountability | Articles are peer-reviewed | No peer-review process | No peer-review process |
| Frequency of Publication | Often monthly or even quarterly (every three months). | Usually monthly, although some business newspapers may come out weekly | Often monthly or even weekly (like Time and Newsweek magazines) |
| Examples | Journal of Nursing Education; Nursing Research; WJNR (Western Journal of Nursing Research) | Adweek; Advertising Age; Chemical and Engineering News; Nursing; RN; Successful Farming | Better Homes and Gardens; Newsweek; Rolling Stone; Time |