A trade journal is neither scholarly nor popular. Trade journals are written specifically for a discipline, industry, or business for the professionals in that field.
- Articles focus on information about that industry (fishing, bowling, music - any discipline can have a trade journal)
- Articles may include data or statistics of interest ot that industry (sales trends, monthly labor reports, catch yields)
- Trade journals are often published by associations for that discipline or profession (AdWeek, Inside Higher Education, Chemical Engineering News)
- Articles may or may not include references, but any references will be brief.