Q. What is a scholarly journal?

Scholarly journals are periodical publications that are produced by and for academics -- people at colleges, universities and research centers.

Publications are usually divided into three general groups based on the audience that is intended to use them.  The groups are Popular publications, Practitioner/Trade publications and Scholarly publications.

Popular publications are intended to be used by the general public.  You don't have to be part of any particular profession or discipline to be interested in the content.  Examples would include magazines such as Time, U.S. News, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Good Housekeeping, etc.

Practitioner/Trade publications are aimed at readers involved in a specific occupation or profession.  Content might use specialized vocabulary that is only used by that profession.  The content would also focus on information that would help in the day-to-day activities of that group.  Some examples would include Police Chief magazine, Educational Leadership (for teachers), Percussionist (for drum musicians), etc.

Scholarly journals are intended for use by academics.  They usually contain reports of research conducted by professors or other researchers in a particular discipline.  One type of scholarly journal is the "Peer Reviewed" publication.  These publications have an editorial board of experts in that particular field.  Articles submitted for publication are reviewed these experts to be sure that the research is sound and the conclusions are valid.   

IUP students - View this interactive tutorial to learn more.