Overall appearance

Glossy paper, advertisements,heavily illustrated, attractive in appearance

Serious, may contain graphs or charts; no glossy pages, photographs; few or no advertisements

Audience

General Public

Scholars and students

Authors

Journalists, professional writers; credentials rarely provided

Researchers, scholars, or experts in the field; the article includes their academic credentials

Documentation

Sources sometimes cited for news articles, but rarely

Cite sources in footnotes or bibliography

Purpose

Provide general information

Report on or review original research or experimentation in narrowly focused discipline or academic subject.

Article Acceptance
Procedure

Articles written by hired reporters, edited by magazine editors

Often undergo a "peer-review" process -- reviewed by other scholars in the field before being published --sometimes these journals are called "refereed journals"

Examples

Time, Newsweek, Psychology Today, Ms., Nation, Popular Science, Life, Sports Illustrated, Commentary

New England Journal of Medicine, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Experimental Psychology, Adolescence, American Historical Review, Art History, Counseling Psychologist, Geological Society of America Bulletin, Harvard Law Review, Management Science, Urban Affairs Quarterly, Women's Studies.