Popular Periodicals
A periodical is probably popular:
1. if it's published weekly.
2. if you find advertising, particularly for consumer goods.
3. if you recognize it from the supermarket.
4. if the articles are short -- less than five pages long.
5. if the title is not too technical.
6. if the articles have no footnotes or bibliographical references.
Scholarly Periodicals
A periodical is probably scholarly:
1. if its name begins with "The Journal of ..."
2. if it's indexed in scholarly databases.
3. if it's published quarterly, or less often.
4. if the author's credentials are listed to identify his/her expertise.
5. if the title is longer and reflects the content of the article.
6. if the articles are longer, often 8 to 40 pages.
7. if there is little or no advertising.
8. if there are no illustrations, although there may be charts and graphs.
9. if there are footnotes and long bibliographies.
10. if there is an abstract at the beginning of the article.
11. if the article is based upon original research.
12. if the journal is published by a professional scholarly association.
13. if there is a list of article reviewers (editorial board) inside. This identifies a "juried" or "refereed" journal.