Geography: Types of Publications

Scholarly publications are written by scholars, for other scholars. You can find scholarly articles in library databases.

• Written for scholars and college students
• Academic language/terminology
• May be peer-reviewed
• Include bibliographies/reference lists
• Articles can be long (6-40 pages or more)
• Very few advertisements
• Few or no pictures

Examples:

• American Journal of Sociology
• Social Problems
• Crime and Delinquency
• Journal of Sociology

Popular Publications are those like magazines and newspapers

• Written for the general public
• Simple language for a large audience
• Good for current news, opinions and statistics
• Articles may contain sources for authenticity, but newspaper articles do not contain footnotes or reference lists.
• Articles are usually short
• Lots of advertisements
• Extensive pictures

Examples:

• Time
• Newsweek
• Sports Illustrated
• InStyle

Trade publications are written for specific groups of people in a particular industry or trade.

• Written for working professionals
• Uses terminology specific to that profession
• May or may not include bibliographies
• Articles are often short
• Extensive advertising
• Lots of pictures

Examples:

• Corrections Today
• Beverage World
• American Libraries
• Fast Food Times