Publication Process Tutorial

This tutorial covers the basics of the academic publishing process.

Types of Publications

Scholarly journals - contain in-depth articles on original research written by experts in a particular field for other scholars and researchers. Articles contain specialized vocabulary, extensive citations, graphs, charts & tables, and are usually peer-reviewed by experts in the field.

Popular magazines - contain articles and are typically written by a staff writer or journalist for a general audience. The magazine includes many photos and ads. Reference to sources are uncommon.

Trade publications - contain articles on current news and trends for a specific industry or profession and are written by authors with knowledge in the field for practitioners. Articles report general news, trends, and opinions, rather than advanced research, and are not peer-reviewed.

Properties of Scholarly, Popular and Trade Journals

	Scholarly / Academic Journals (including Peer Reviewed)	Popular	Trade Publications

Examples	American Anthropologist Journal of Popular Culture Nature	Time National Geographic Popular Mechanics Psychology Today	Public Management Advertising Age InfoSecurity Professional
Content	Research results/reports Reviews of research Book reviews	Current events General interest	Articles on a certain business or industry News, trends, promotional materials
Purpose	Share original research or scholarship with the academic community	Entertainment Current Events Popular Culture	Inform about business or industry news, trends, or products
Audience	Scholars, researchers, students	General public Nonprofessionals	Business/industry professionals and practitioners
Authorship	Expert or specialist in the field. Name and credentials always provided	Staff writers, journalists, freelancers. Credentials often not provided	Staff writers, business/industry professionals.
Review Policy	Peer reviewed (refereed) Reviewed and critically evaluated by experts in the field	Staff editor.	Business/industry professionals and practitioners
Cites Sources	Research thoroughly documented by: Bibliographies / Works Cited Footnotes References Endnotes	None. May refer to other studies	Few, if any.
Format/Structure	Structured articles typically contain: Abstract / Summary Literature Review Methodology Results Discussion Conclusion Bibliography	No specific format	No specific format
Pagination	Page numbers consecutive through all issues in a single volume	Individual issues begin with Page 1	Each issue usually begins with Page 1
Special Features	Illustrations that support text Statistical tables, graphs, maps Longer articles Few ads, usually for scholarly products or books	Glossy photos & illustrations. Many ads for variety of products.	Ads geared toward specific industry

Open Access

Note: This video was created by a university located in the United Kingdom. Please ignore references to the "REF," as this does not apply in the United States.

What is open access?
Review this web page from UC Berkeley