| | Scholary Journals | Popular Magazines |
| Author | Scholars in the field | Reporters or staff writers |
| Audience | Scholars and Students | General Public |
| Citing of Sources | Yes | No |
| Peer Reviewed/Refereed | Yes | No |
| Purpose | Report on original research or experiments | Provide general information, entertain |
| Illustrations | Sometimes photos, charts, or graphs | Often elaborate and colorful illustrations |
| Advertisements | Rarely; when present, aimed at a specialized audience | Yes |
| Frequency | Monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, semi-annually | Daily, weekly, monthly |
| Publisher | University or professional association | Commercial firm |
| Style of Writing | Often jargon and technical language | Plain, simple, journalistic language |
| Length | Generally long | Generally brief |