Magazine or Journal: Some clues for telling the difference

Magazine or Journal? Some clues for telling the difference

College professors often require students to use scholarly journals. Identifying scholarly journals by title is very tricky. Not all scholarly journals have the word journal in the title and sometimes the word journal is used in titles of non-scholarly sources If you have questions please consult your instructor.

Title: Journals often (but not always) have the word "journal" somewhere in their title.

Authorship: Journal articles are written by experts in the field, and indicate the authors and their affiliations. Articles are usually reviewed and critically evaluated by a board of experts in the field (refereed). On the other hand, some magazine articles are not signed and are not evaluated by experts in the field, but by editors or staff .

Length: Journal articles are usually longer articles, providing in-depth analysis of topics. Magazine articles are shorter and provide broader overviews of topics.

Language/Audience: Journal articles are written in the jargon of the field for scholarly readers (professors, researchers, or students). Magazine articles are usually written in non-technical language for anyone to understand.

Method: Journal articles often attempt to prove a thesis by experimentation or documentary evidence, are usually more structured, and may include these sections: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography

Sources: Journal articles always have bibliographies and/or footnotes listing sources consulted by the author(s).

Graphics: Journal articles often include charts or graphics, but rarely include lots of glossy photographs or advertising.

Frequency: Journals are usually published less frequently than magazines, often quarterly or every two months.

Page Numbers: Journal page numbers are usually sequential through all issues in a volume. Magazine pages numbers usually start over with each issue.


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