| CRITERIA | POPULAR MAGAZINES | PROFESSIONAL/TRADE JOURNALS | SCHOLARLY JOURNALS |
| Who is the intended audience? | The general public | Members of a trade or profession | Researchers and experts |
| Who are the authors? | Staff writers, although many articles are unsigned | Staff writers and experts in the field | Researchers and experts |
| Are sources cited in a bibliography? | Almost never | Sometimes | Always |
| What is the publication's purpose? | To disseminate general information and news or to entertain | To publicize current topics and professional issues in the field | To disseminate research findings |
| What is the content? | General interest stories and news | Trends, standards, and new technologies in the field | Research reports |
| What kind of language is used? | Language that requires no expertise | Jargon that assumes expertise in the field | Jargon that assumes expertise in the field |
| Who is the publisher? | Commercial organizations | Associations | Associations or Universities |
| Is the source of the information reliable? | Most of the time, but not necessarily - publishing deadlines mean a thorough review is difficult to conduct | Usually - the articles often undergo reviews by an editor or editorial board, but sometimes publications are biased to support the industry | Yes - the articles undergo blind reviews by other scholars |
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