Different types of publications have different purposes and different audiences. When we talk about journals, we can usually divide these publications into three broad categories: scholarly, popular, and trade/professional publications.
| Scholarly Journals | Popular Journals | Trade/Professional Publications | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Informs and reports on original research done by scholars and experts in the field. | Entertains and informs a general audience without providing in-depth analysis. | Reports on industry trends and new products or techniques useful to people in a trade or business. |
| Authors | Articles are written by subject specialists and experts in the field. | Articles are written by journalists, freelance writers, or an editorial staff. | Articles are usually written by specialists in a certain field or industry. |
| Audience | Intended for a limited audience - researchers, scholars, and experts. | Intended for a broad segment of the population, appealing to non-specialists. | Intended for practitioners in a particular profession, business, or industry. |
Every profession uses different writing styles and genres to communicate within the profession. These websites are great starting points for examples of different genres.
Look at the websites of professional organizations/associations/communities related to your major or career field! Read their social media, newsletters, blogs, press releases, etc. to understand trends in that field. Can't find one? Search the internet for your career and ".org" or "association"... i.e. librarian association or library worker .org .
