Researchers find much of their best information in periodical articles.  Periodicals are publications that are printed on a periodic—or regular—basis.  Typically periodicals are put out on a daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis.  Usually newspapers come out daily; most magazines come out weekly or monthly; and most journals come out bimonthly, quarterly, or semi-annually. 

Periodical articles are important for researchers because they are much shorter and more specialized than most books.  In addition, articles take less time to write and get published, and so will always be more current than books.  But periodicals vary greatly in quality and just because something is written does not mean that it is reliable.  One factor to consider is the kind of periodical.  Newspapers cover current events, so the articles have to be written quickly, usually by reporters, not by specialists.   Magazines tend to be written for entertainment purposes, and their content might be a bit shallow and, as with the newspapers, most magazine articles are written by reporters, not specialists.  Journal articles are generally written by specialists who are sharing their research with other specialists.  Since specialists who are explaining and publicizing their research generally write journal articles, these articles generally provide the highest quality information.   Another thing to remember is that most journal articles provide either footnotes or a bibliography so that the readers can learn about the other sources of information that were used when the article was written.  Few magazines do this.         

When evaluating periodical articles, consider relevance, currency, author's credentials, content, and bibliography.  Since many newspaper and magazine articles do not provide bibliographies or information about their authors, the next step in evaluating an article is to evaluate the quality of the periodical.  Start by determining if the article being evaluated comes from a magazine, a newspaper, or a journal.  Determine how current an article needs to be in order to be useful.  Does the periodical provide any information about the author or authors of the article?  To what depth does the article address the subject being researched?  Does the article provide a bibliography?  (Remember that many periodicals use a term other than “bibliography,” for example, some periodical articles offer a list of sources that is designated “Recommended Readings.”)

Newspapers are periodicals that generally:

• Are published daily.
• Feature short articles.
• Articles deal with current events and controversies.
• Provide no bibliography.
• Provide little or no biographical information about the author(s) of the article.

Magazines are periodicals that generally:

• Are published weekly or monthly.
• Feature short articles with illustrations.
• Articles deal with current topics as well as with some research.
• Seldom provide a bibliography.
• Provide little or no biographical information about the author(s) of the article.

Journals are periodicals that generally:

• Are published monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually.
• Feature long articles.
• Articles are focused on research for professionals to use.
• Articles include footnotes and/or bibliography.
• Provide biographical information about the author(s) of the article.

Increasingly researchers access periodical articles through a variety of electronic databases.  These databases allow users to read articles via their computers.  These articles are full-text articles taken from various national periodicals as they were published.  Sometimes it is difficult on a computer screen to determine which of these articles come from journals and which come from magazines or newspapers.  One particularly useful source for patrons that is available in the Hartfield Library is a book titled Magazines for Libraries.