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Types of Articles
| Periodical articles can be published in magazines or journals or newspapers. Each type is cited differently, so use this chart for identification: |
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MAGAZINES |
JOURNALS |
NEWSPAPERS |
| Advertising |
popular products |
few advertisements |
popular products |
| Audience |
general public |
academics, students |
general public |
| Author |
staff or popular writer |
academic researcher/writer |
journalist |
| Content |
general information |
research findings & ideas |
news & information |
| Frequency |
weekly or monthly |
(BI)monthly or quarterly |
daily or weekly |
| Length |
short |
long |
short |
| Reading Level |
high school or lower |
undergraduate to graduate |
high school or lower |
| References |
none or minimal |
fully documented |
none or minimal |
| Title Words |
magazine, weekly |
journal, report, quarterly |
herald, register, tribune |
EXAMPLES:
|
Cosmopolitan
National Geographic
Time
People Weekly |
Journal of Economic Issues
Presidential Studies Quarterly
Technology Review |
New York Times
Kansas City Star
St. Louis Post Dispatch |
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Other types of articles: |
| |
TRADE PUBLICATION |
PEER-REVIEWED (REFEREED) |
| Advertising |
trade products |
few advertisements |
| Audience |
professionals |
academics, students |
| Author |
expert in the field or occupation |
academic researcher/writer |
| Content |
targeted to occupational audience |
evaluated by peers prior to publication |
| Reading Level |
high school to college |
undergraduate to graduate |
| References |
some, not consistent |
fully documented |
| EXAMPLES: |
Progressive Grocer
ABA Banking Journal |
Journal of the American Medical Assoc.
Journal of American History |
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| DEFINITIONS: |
Magazines:
Articles in popular magazines like Vogue or Sports Illustrated contain information written for the general public. These sources may be appropriate to use in an academic paper, depending on the topic and focus. Magazines can be useful for introductory reading about the topic or for collecting fast facts. |
Newspapers:
Newspapers provide a journalistic perspective on a specific time and place, including local and regional news. Reliable news stories are based on eye witness' perceptions of what happened. |
Peer-Reviewed/Refereed Journals:
Articles published in refereed journals are controlled by an editorial board following a formal process of peer review by experts in the subject area covered. The information therefore has a high level of quality, credibility, and reliability.
|
Journals:
Academic journal articles are often longer than popular magazine articles. They may or may not be peer-reviewed before publication. Journals with fully documented references are more scholarly than those that don't include a bibliography or list of references. |
Trade Periodicals:
Trade publications specialize in news and information for professionals in a certain occupation. They are a credible source if written by experts with knowledge of the subject area. |
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QUIZ: Answer which type of periodical is?
- Social Science Computer Review, Spring 2007, v25 i1, p78-98 Hughes, Lorine A.; DeLone, Gregory J.
a) popular magazine? b) academic, scholarly journal? c) newspaper
- Computer Reseller News, June 26, 2000 p40 Security Threads. (unsigned article)
a) popular magazine? b) academic, scholarly journal? c) newspaper
- Computer Shopper, July 2000 p236 Cover Your Assets - Fending Off Hackers Requires a Mix of Firewall Technologies. Art Brieva.
a) popular magazine? b) academic, scholarly journal? c) newspaper
- Time, December 18, 2006, v168 i25, pA16. Hackers for Hire. Amanda Bower.
a) popular magazine? b) academic, scholarly journal? c) newspaper
- The New Republic, May 1, 2000 p16 Preparing for Cyberterrorism--Badly. John Arquilla.
a) popular magazine? b) academic, scholarly journal? c) newspaper
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| EVALUATING PERIODICAL ARTICLES: |
- Do the author's credentials qualify him or her to write about your topic? Why?
- Are there references (bibliography or works cited) listed near the end of the article?
- Is this periodical a scholarly journal, a popular magazine, or a newspaper?
How do you know?
- Is this article relevant to your topic? How?
|
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