Check scholarly journals if you are looking for articles written by academic experts on primary research, such as the "Journal of the American Medical Association" or the "American Economic Review." Articles follow a set format, begin with an explanatory extract and give the author or authors' names and their credentials. They list bibliographic references, use specialized language or jargon associated with the discipline and contain graphs and charts -- but avoid commercial graphics or photographs. The publishers of scholarly journals are usually universities or research associations; these journals disseminate new findings to other researchers, experts and students.
Subscribe to trade or professional journals to stay abreast of new standards, developments and technologies in your field. Experts write these articles about current topics in a specific profession or trade. The articles follow a set format, start with an abstract, include bibliographic references and contain graphs and charts. The primary difference between a scholarly and a trade journal is the scholarly journal contains the findings of primary research, while the trade journal publicizes current topics in the field. Some professional and trade journals include "Family Law Quarterly" and "Restaurant Business."
Include substantive news magazines or papers in your reading if you are looking for well-written articles for an educated public. A staff member, an expert in the field or scholar, or a freelance writer writes these articles. Sources are sometimes cited, but not always. These publications often contain attractive photographs and graphics to attract advertisers and sell to the public. Examples of this type of publication include "National Geographic" and "The New York Times."
Read popular magazines as a leisure activity. These periodicals are published on a weekly or monthly basis, written in simple language, and published in an attractive format with photographs and graphics filling a lot a white space. The subject matter may include news, personal opinion and narrative, and writers may or may not have expertise in the field. Examples include "Sports Illustrated" and "People." Like substantive news magazines and papers, popular periodicals advertise and sell to the public.