KNPE 167: Socio-Cultural Dimensions of Sport and Physical Activity

Journals and magazines are important sources for up-to-date information in all disciplines. For research papers, you will primarily be required to use scholarly sources. Therefore, it is very important to be able to distinguish scholarly writing from other types of writing. 

The following criteria will help you distinguish between these following types of periodical publications: scholarly journals, general interest magazines, popular magazines, trade journals and magazines, and sensational news.

Scholarly Journals

Scholarly journal articles are important sources for research as they contain current research in a given field and often focus on a particular aspect of a topic.

• Have articles that are written by a scholar in the field, discipline or specialty
• Have articles that are reviewed and evaluated by other subject experts
• Report on original research or experimentation
• Use the terminology and language of the covered subject
• Have articles that are footnoted and/or have a bibliography
• Have a serious look with charts and graphs but few glossy pictures
• Are generally published by a professional organization or a scholarly press

• Are intended for an academic audience (i.e. researchers, professors, and students)

Some examples of scholarly journals include: Sociology of Sport Journal, Journal of Sport and Social Issues, and the International Review for the Sociology of Sport.

Popular Works (Magazines, Newspapers)

• Are written for the general public.
• Are written to inform, entertain, sell products, or promote a point of view.
• Often avoid specialized terminology of the field.
• Do not have bibliographies.
• May be written by authors who have no expertise on the topic.
• Often leave out some important information.