Scholarly Journals

• They have a serious and understated appearance.
• The articles are written by scholars or experts in their fields.
• The articles always include footnotes or bibliographies.
• The writing style is academic and intended for readers with a scholarly background.
• There may be charts and graphs, but few photos and usually no color.
• There are few, if any, advertisements.

Popular Magazines

• They have a glossy look, often using color, graphics, and photos.
• The articles are written by staff members or journalists - not necessarily experts.
• The articles rarely, if ever, have footnotes or bibliographies.
• The writing style is aimed for general readers.
• The articles are typically short and generally have little depth.
• There are numerous advertisements.