Periodicals

Periodicals are issued on a regular or "periodic" basis, such as every day, every week, every month,  every three months (quarterly), or every six months (bi-annually).

Periodicals are usually separated into four major groups:

• popular magazines
• scholarly journals
• trade publications
• newspapers

Each type of periodical has a specific function or purpose. Learn more about each of them on the following pages. They explain the characteristics of periodicals, like authorship, audience, purpose, etc.

Why should you care? Knowing the differences between these periodical types will allow you to focus your search for information on the type of periodical that is most likely to provide the kind of information you need.