Periodical Or Not

Is it a periodical or not?
Help with Noodletools
UW-Manitowoc Library Services

The first thing Noodletools wants to know is this: Periodical? Or not?

It seems like an easy question
These are periodicals
These are books, or nonperiodicals

Periodicals are purchased through a subscription
They are published periodically (monthly, weekly, quarterly, annually, etc.)
Volume and issue numbers show the sequence of issues
Dates given may include month or season and year
Usually they compile a variety of articles written by different authors
They can be in print, microform, or electronic forms
Periodicals can include magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and journals
The differences are obvious, right?

Books are bought one at a time
The book ends on its last page—if changes are needed, a new book (later edition) is published.
Some books are published in parts and have multiple volumes, but they still end (unlike periodicals, which have no known termination date)
Publication date is usually a single year, e.g., 2009
Often represent the sustained work of one author but also can collect shorter works by several authors
They can be in print, microform, or electronic forms
Books can include pamphlets, hard-cover books, technical documents, manuals, and multi-volume reference books
Books or nonperiodicals

You didn’t mention that periodicals are shiny, with lots of photos and advertisements.
Why not?
There are several types of periodicals. Not all are popular magazines.

Noodletools lists them
Journal
Publishes scholarly, academic work
Magazine
Shiny and colorful, includes ads, popular, for the mass market
Newsletter
Documents the activities of an organization
Newspaper
Newsprint, current, covers daily or weekly events

Take a look at the following and try to guess whether they are periodicals or not

Periodical or not?

Periodical or not?
That’s easy. The word “journal” is in the title!
Periodical!

Periodical or not?
On second thought, nothing is that easy at the university. So I’ll also say that the articles all have different titles with different authors. Periodical!

You’re right. It’s a periodical. The best way to develop judgment about the differences is with experience using them. So here’s another.

Periodical or not?

Periodical or not?
It’s not slick or colorful.

Periodical or not?
But hey—There are two titles. One is the title of the article. One is the title of the journal. So it’s a periodical.

I like the way you are using reason and common sense to figure it out.

Periodical or not?
Sweet! It’s colorful and shiny!

Periodical or not?
Not only that, but I see two titles. This is from Rolling Stone magazine. Periodical!

Periodical or not?
This is just a cover. I can only guess at what’s inside.
Yes, without the physical item, it can be more difficult to decide.

Periodical or not?
Can’t fool me. There will be no new Beowulf arriving in the mail next month. This is a book!

Books have one title, though it may have two parts, as this does
Beowulf: A New Verse Translation is how the title would be written in a citation
Periodical or not?

Look for these elements when analyzing a source. If you see all this, it’s a periodical:
Title of article
Title of magazine (periodical)
Author
Date
Page numbers
Volume and issue number
Periodical or nonperiodical?

There are variations among the types of periodicals. Popular magazines and newspapers may not have volume and issue numbers.
Welcome to the wild world of periodicals!

Periodical or not?

This page mentions the New York Times and I know that’s a newspaper.
But I don’t see a date or volume number like a periodical would have. And there’s a publisher listed: Henry Holt.

Periodical or not?
This page lists articles, each with its own title and author. That’s like a periodical.
It’s some sort of hybrid. A bookical!

Periodical or not?
It’s actually called an anthology. Each article was originally published in the New York Times. The articles have been collected and reprinted in a book called an anthology or collection.

Noodletools provides anthology as a type of nonperiodical choice
This kind of source can be tricky to identify at first
But anthologies are common sources of information

OK, one more. This time it’s electronic, retrieved from a library database, Academic Search Elite from EBSCOHost.

Periodical or not?
This looks like the photocopy of an article from a periodical. It has a volume and issue number. There are two titles: article and journal

That was an article in pdf form. Take a look at this one in html.
It doesn’t look like much, but in the upper left corner it gives a volume and issue number. It’s a periodical.

Electronic sources may not look like their paper counterpart. But you can still figure them out.

Everything here has been explained and seems obvious, but what if I make the wrong choice when I’m doing this by myself?
A wrong choice in Noodletools will become apparent when the program asks you a question that you can’t answer. If that happens, just start over.

Remember to ask your professor or a librarian for help if needed. Keep cool—you learn with each citation and it gets easier as you go.
Good luck!

Filion, Michel. Face from Lachine. 2007. Flickr. Web. June 23, 2009. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike9aliv e/539869668/>
Pearson, John Lambert. Faces, for Ingy. 2007. Flickr. Web. June 23, 2009. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/orphanjo nes/448527789/>
Sources