LESSON 6 CONTENTS:

Learning Objectives

Part One: Periodical Literature

I. The Importance of Periodical Literature in Research

II. Types of Periodicals

III. Electronic Journals

IV. Types of Periodical Articles

Part Two: Periodical Indexes

V. General and Subject Periodical Indexes

VI. Print and Computerized Periodical Indexes

VII. Choosing the Right Index

VIII. General Guidelines for Using Periodical Indexes

IX. Interpreting Periodical Citations

X. Key Points to Remember

Lesson Six Quiz

Lesson Six Exercise

II. TYPES OF PERIODICALS

There are 5 types of periodicals:

1) Scholarly and Research Journals
2) Professional Magazines and Journals
3) Magazines and Journals of Commentary and Opinion
4) Popular Magazines and News Magazines
5) Newspapers

Let’s examine each.

• Scholarly and Research Journals – specialized publications intended for scholars and students of a particular discipline or subject. Usually published monthly or quarterly, these publications often have words such as these in their title:

Studies in
Review
Annals
Quarterly
Journal
Advances

Here are some examples of scholarly journal titles:

Studies in European History
American Historical Review
Annals of Internal Medicine
Quarterly Review of Film Studies
Journal of the American Medical Association
Advances in Biochemistry

CAUTION: A periodical that has the word “journal” in its title is not necessarily a scholarly journal. For example, Ladies Home Journal is not a scholarly journal, even though the term appears in its title.

Journal of Health Policy, Politics, and Law -- a scholarly journal

Articles in scholarly journals are written by highly educated people (often holding Master’s or PhD degrees) who are often experts, practitioners and teachers in specialized academic fields. They write articles as a way to communicate with other scholars and add to the knowledge base of their discipline, always carefully citing their sources in footnotes and/or bibliographies. Often, they are reporting the results of original research or experimentation.

Many scholarly journals will not publish an article until it has been reviewed by an editorial board to insure that it meets certain standards of scholarly quality. A publication that requires this formal review is known as a refereed journal, and sometimes teachers will require you to find articles from such journals. (Another term for refereed journal is peer-reviewed journal. “Peer-reviewed” implies that one’s scholarly peers review your work. Both terms mean the same thing.)

Articles in scholarly publications can be challenging to read because they’re not usually intended for the general public or those unfamiliar with the subject.

• Professional Magazines and Journals – publications that report on news and developments in a particular profession, academic field, trade, or industry. Unlike scholarly journals, they do not publish original research. Instead, they concentrate on news and trends in a particular profession or industry. Examples include:

  
  American Psychologist (covers the psychology profession)
  American Music Teacher (covers the music teaching profession)
  Legal Assistant Today (covers the legal assistant profession)

  California Apparel News (covers the clothing industry)
  Automotive News (covers the automotive industry)
  PC Week (covers the computing industry)
  
  Paper Trade Journal (covers a specific trade)
  
  
  The American Journalism Review –a professional journal
  

• Magazines and Journals of Commentary and Opinion – offer analysis, commentary, and investigative reporting on social and political issues. These publications typically view the world from either a politically liberal, moderate, or conservative stance. They sometimes serve as the official “voice” of an activist organization. Examples include:
  
  

  LIBERAL	MODERATE	CONSERVATIVE
  Monthly Review Mother Jones World Marxist Review The Progressive	New Republic Maclean’s Economist	CATO Journal American Rifleman National Review National Right to Life News

  
  National Review -- a magazine of commentary and opinion
  

• Popular Magazines and News Magazines -- commercial publications intended for the general reader.

  Popular magazines focus on popular culture, i.e. entertainment, cultural trends, sports, hobbies, etc.

  News magazines report on national and international current events, social and political trends, public opinion, and popular culture. They often offer valuable explanations and interpretations of events both at home and abroad.

Vibe -- a popular magazine

Newsweek -- a news magazine

• Newspapers – daily publications that provide local, national, and international news, editorials, entertainment, advertising and other sorts of practical information.

  
  The Wall Street Journal --a daily newspaper

Given below is a table summarizing the main features of the 5 types of periodicals: