PERIODICALS Understanding the i differences between popular magazines

PERIODICALS Understanding the i differences between popular magazines, trade magazines, newspapers, & scholarly journals By A. Sobol

PERIODICALS Today, periodicals are still published in print, but are also available online (for a subscription fee as well! Nothing is free!) Regardless of how you access a periodical, it’s still a periodical!

PERIODICALS Published at regular intervals – often frequently: weekly bi-weekly monthly bi-annually

TYPES OF PERIODICALS Magazines Trade – written for people in a certain industry/business Restaurant News Popular - written for general audience, meant to entertain & inform People, Time, Seventeen Newspapers – meant to inform general audience, very current-events oriented Scholarly Journals (a. k. a. Academic Journals, Peer-Reviewed Journals)

PERIODICAL DATABASES Articles from Newspapers Magazines Scholarly journals Offer access to a wide variety of periodicals, covering many subjects Current-events oriented Periodical databases we subscribe to: Proquest Opposing Viewpoints SIRS Researcher Custom Newspapers New York State Newspapers Business & Company ASAP National Newspaper Index

Periodicals

SCHOLARLY JOURNALS published by research institutions or universities very academic in nature usually reporting first-hand on some sort of research study articles written by researchers, college professors – author’s name always given, along with credentials articles reviewed by a panel before being published – this is called “peer review” all articles will have a bibliography/works cited and/or footnotes so all facts can be verified No advertisements

POPULAR MAGAZINES Secondary reports or discussions Intended for a general audience Author not always given – often a professional writer who may or may not have subject expertise, articles reviewed by staff editors Bibliographies almost never given Layout is easy on the eye, lots of color photos & advertisements Meant to inform on a basic level & entertain Not necessarily current-events oriented Can be published weekly or monthly Many popular magazines are specialized & devoted to one subject: cooking, travel, sports, fashion, celebrity gossip, home decorating Some magazines try to touch on many of these subjects in one issue

TRADE MAGAZINES Meant for people in a certain business/industry Reports on industry trends, new products or techniques, organizational news Articles written by news staff or contributing authors, reviewed by staff editors Some articles may contains short bibliographies Some ads – all targeted toward particular business Usually published monthly or quarterly

NEWSPAPERS Intended for general audience Reports on current events & issues – local, national, international Articles written by staff writer, journalist, columnist Bibliographies almost never given Articles reviewed by staff editor Brief articles, unless feature/cover story Usually published daily or weekly

PRACTICE EXERCISE Count off by 8 Together with the members of your group, sort your periodicals into four piles: 1. Newspapers 2. Trade magazines 3. Popular magazines 4. Scholarly journals