2. About this Tutorial
Students:
This tutorial will:
• Help you understand what periodicals/serials are
• Help you understand the difference between magazines and journals
• Define the characteristics of a peer-reviewed publication
• Help you locate these materials in the library
This tutorial should take you about 20 minutes to complete.
Faculty:
This tutorial was made using Microsoft PowerPoint 2007.
This tutorial will help students
• Understand the difference among various types of periodicals.
• Locate materials online and in-house.
This tutorial meets the following ACRL standards:
1.1d
1.4a
2.2d
3. What to watch for…
Notes –
These are to let you know
there is important information
you need to know about what
is being covered.
4. In the library you might often hear any of
these terms, but what does it all mean?
This tutorial will help you understand
what each of these terms mean so you
can choose the best resources for your
research.
5. What is a periodical?
A periodical is a publication that is published on a
regular basis (weekly, monthly, annually, etc.).
journalistopia.com
Magazines, journals, and newspapers are all
examples of periodicals.
They are also often
referred to as serials,
because they come in a
series and may have a
continuing theme or
story.
6. Newspapers are most commonly
known as serials, since they
usually follow a story for a
period of time, providing a series
of articles about the same
subject.
The library subscribes to most of the
major national papers as well as local
news. Many newspapers can also be
accessed online.
7. Now we come to the part that confuses most people. What is the difference between a
magazine and a journal? And what do librarians mean by a popular journal?
Magazines are usually just general reading material that have articles
written for everyone to read. The language used is not technical and the
articles are general news and information.
Because the information
written in magazines is
written for the general
population, they are
called popular journals.
These periodicals often
have lots of advertising
and other commercial
information.
8. Trade journals are more specialized information. They are
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publications printed with the intention of targeting
marketing to a specific industry or type of trade/business
and written for a specific audience who has an interest in
a certain topic. The articles will contain more technical
vocabulary and are usually published less frequently
(monthly, quarterly, etc.)
While these publications have
more jargon than a popular
magazine, they still have
advertisements and the articles
are written without the strict
review process that other
journals require.
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9. What about peer-reviewed journals?
Peer-reviewed journals are journals that contain articles that have been
reviewed by a group of peers who are experts in the same field as the
writer.
Why use them?
Peer review is a well-accepted indicator of
quality scholarship. This means that
articles accepted for publication through a
peer-review process implicitly meet the
discipline’s expected standards of
expertise.
i-biolist.com
southalabama.edu
Keep in mind that peer-reviewed
journals may also be called:
• Scholarly journals
• Academic journals
• Refereed journals
10. Databases contain articles from many different periodical sources, including
magazines, newspapers and peer-reviewed journals, but chances are your
professors will want you to use peer-reviewed journals for your research.
11. Linscheid Library has approximately 90 databases full of thousands of scholarly
journals as well as popular journals and newspapers. Check out the library website
to find out what is available to you for your research. You can also find our print
subscriptions on the 2nd (lower) floor of the library.
12. Thanks for learning more about
peer-reviewed journals, and other
types of periodicals.
Remember to come by the library and
check out our print subscriptions or log
on to the library website and see what
our databases have to offer. And if you
have any questions, just stop by the
Reference Desk.
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