Periodicals are publications that are issued periodically. The schedule can be daily, weekly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly or yearly. Each separate publication of a title is called an issue. A selected number of issues (usually a year's worth) is called a volume.
There are several types of periodicals: Newspapers and Magazines, Trade Magazines and Scholarly Journals Most college level research is done using Scholarly Journals.
Types of Periodicals
Newspapers are usually published daily or weekly basis. They contain news, opinion and advertisements.
Popular magazines are usually published on a weekly or monthly basis. Popular magazines contain short articles written for a general audience and advertisements. Popular magazine are almost always inappropriate for college level research..
Trade Magazines are written by practitioners in the field. The short articles are intended for working professionals and may be published by a trade or professional association. The advertisements are usually for specialists in the field.
Scholarly or Academic Journals are written by and for experts in the field using formal academic language, technical terms and professional jargon. Many, but not all scholarly journals are peer reviewed and rarely contain advertisements or photographs.
Peer Review
Many scholarly journals are peer reviewed. When a researcher submits an article for publication, the editor will forward the article to experts in the field. The expert review panel will examine the article. The panel may recommend publication, require that the article be revised or recommend that the article not be published at all.
Peer review ensures that only the highest quality research is published.
Where can I find Scholarly Research Articles?
The Library subscribes to more than 100 article databases. You can search all of the databases at once using Primo Search or use a specific database for more targeted research. Depending on the database, the listings may contain the full text of an article, but some will have an abstract or a citation. In many cases, the article may be available in full text from another database or the library may have a subscription from the publisher.
I already know the article that I want, where can I find it?
You can use the Library Catalog to locate specific articles. Copy and paste the title of the article into the search box. The catalog will indicate if the article is available in full text. If the Library does not have access to the journal, you can request an Interlibrary Loan. The Library will request a copy of the article and will send it to you via email. If you know the DOI of an articles you can use LibKey.io to see if UP has the full text.
How can I look for articles in one specific journal.
Search for specific journal titles using Journal Finder. Type in the title of the journal in the search box. Journal Finder will tell you if the library has access to the journal.
