Source: University of Houston Libraries.
| Criteria | Magazines | Journals |
| Level: | Popular, "easy reading" | Scholarly, technical, research based |
| References: | None | Yes, good bibliographies and/or footnotes |
| Advertisements: | Lots, general products, foods, household goods, etc. | None or only special products aimed at professional users |
| Audience: | Lay people, "just folks" | Scholars, students of the field |
| Publishers: | For-profit corporations | Learned societies, professional associations, governmental organizations, education institutions, or others interested in furthering knowledge |
| Inclusion: | Single editor or board judging piece on interest, style, readability, and conformity to the magazine's purpose |
Editorial board of fellow scholars reviewing the work for validity, reliability, contribution |
|
Visuals: |
People, places, general illustrations, few graphs, tables, etc. |
Generally fewer visuals; when included, tend to be tables, graphs, charts |
|
Appearance: |
Glossy, "snazzy", colorful, good looking |
Good paper, high quality production |
|
Pagination: |
Start with page 1 each issue |
Continuous through volume |
* The word "journal" or lack thereof, does not necessarily indicate whether or not an item is a journal.
Source: Montana State University Libraries (www.lib.montana.edu/instruct/guides/magjour.html)