You answer these three questions every time you use a source, whether you know it or not.
Start noticing how you answer these questions to ensure your sources are really meeting your needs.
| Scholarly Journal | News/General Interest | Popular Magazines | Sensational Publications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Has grave, serious format | Attractive in appearance | Generally slick/glossy with an attractive format | Cheap newspaper format |
| Graphics | Graphs and charts to illustrate concepts | Photos, graphics and illustrations used to enhance articles | Photos, illustrations and drawing to enhance imageof publication | Contains melodramatic, lurid or "doctored" photos |
| Sources | Cited sources with footnotes and/or bibliography | Occasionally cite sources, but not as a rule | Rarely cite sources. Original sources may be obscure | Rarely cite sources of information |
| Authors | Written by scholars or researchers in the field or discipline | Written for an educated, general audience by staff, free-lance or scholarly writers | Written by the staff or free-lance writers for a broad audience | Written by free-lance or staff writers |
| Language | Uses terminology, jargon, and the language of the discipline. Reader is assumed to have similar background | Uses language appropriate for an educated readership | Uses simple language for minimal educational level. Articles are short, with little depth | Contains language that is simple, easy-to-read and understand. Sensational style is often used |
| Publication Criteria | Subject to "peer review". Must meet approval of qualified scholars in the field | Must meet standards of publication and be approved by editors | No specific criteria | No specific criteria |
| Purpose | To inform, report, or make original research available to the scholarly world | Provide general information to a wide, interested audience | Designed to entertain or persuade, to sell products or services | Arouse curiosity and interest by distorting the truth. Often uses outrageous or startling headlines |
| Publishers | Generally published by a professional organization | Published by commercial enterprises for profit | Published for profit | Published for profit |
| Advertising | Contains selective advertising | Carries advertising | Contains extensive advertising | Contains advertising as luring and startling as the stories |
| Examples | Annals of Microbiology, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Physiology, Physics Letters | Atlantic Monthly, Newsweek, Fortune, Psychology Today, Scientific American | Better Homes and Gardens, GQ, Glamour, People, Sports Illustrated | Globe, National Enquirer, National Examiner, Star, Sun |
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