How do i . . . tell if this is scholarly?

How do I . . . tell if this is scholarly?

There are different types of serial publications: scholarly, popular, and trade. Scholarly sometimes includes the terms "peer reviewed," "refereed," and "academic."

Use the chart below to help determine if your publication is scholarly.

Criteria	Scholarly	Popular	Trade
Author	Scholars with credentials	Journalists, staff, or freelance	Staff or contributing authors
Publication Process	Refereed	Edited	Not refereed
Structure	Title, abstract,introduction, review of literature, methods, findings, discussion, conclusion, and bibliography/works cited	Varies	Varies
Style	Formal	Varies	Varies
Support of Argument	Based on prior research	Confirmed sources	Report on industry trends, new products, or techniques
Purpose	To advance knowledge in the field	To inform, persuade, or entertain	To inform within one industry
Scope	Limited to field of study	Often broad	Limited to a specific profession or industry
Audience	Scholars, students, and practitioners	General public	Members of a specific business, industry, or organization
Appearance	Plain, sometimes with graphs, tables, maps, or photographs	Glossy photos and advertising	Ads apply to specific industry, articles may include abstracts and bibliographies