Do articles published in newspapers count as publications?

Question

I have some analytical articles published in reputed national newspapers,local magazines relevant to my subjects. Do those count as publications?

I have to fill a form (graduate school) and bit confused about it (bit worried how it would be perceived).

Some of articles were quite long and extensive (based on local surveys) so rather than leaving “publication” section of form blank, I thought may be I can put those to show some publication experience (all as summary – not one by one in detail). After all, many say something is better than nothing.

Answer 1

Whether newspaper articles count as a publication depends on the context.

In the general academic context, newspaper articles don't count as an academic publication.

Generally, the main works that count as academic publications are:

1. peer reviewed academic journal articles
2. academic books and book chapters, and
3. full-text peer reviewed academic conference articles.

Academic context - newspaper articles are not academic publications: So in general, if you are asked how many publications you have in an academic context, it will generally just be the above that gets counted. In other cases, you might only be being asked about a count of peer reviewed journal articles. This kind of context often applies to job applications, grant applications, promotions and so on.

Showing how newspaper articles contribute to track-record: That said, in most academic contexts where your track-record is being judged, there is scope to communicate external engagement. Publishing in newspapers is one of many possible examples of external engagement. And in some cases there may be merit in listing the specific instances of external engagement (e.g., particular newspaper articles and so on).

Furthermore, the value assigned to writing newspaper articles varies substantially between fields, universities, and departments. For example, I briefly worked in a business school and they placed a lot of value on academics engaging with the media, and particularly the popular business press. I imagine this was related to the branding benefits associated with their academics being read by the business people who complete their courses. In contrast, in more pure-science disciplines, engagement with the media was really an optional extra.

Answer 2

The terms are very specific, and important. An 'Academic Publication' may be different than a 'Publication', but it also depends on the field.

If the source is looking for 'peer reviewed academic publications', it would be referring to what @JeromyAnglim has pointed out.

The one exception field specific would be in the humanities or arts, in which a 'Publication' may refer to an article that others have written about your work, such as working on a Fashion Dress, which is 'published' in Vogue. If your field is similar to this, it may be appropriate to include, but you should ask someone with knowledge in both your field and the application.