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Evaluating PeriodicalsPeriodicals may be grouped into the four categories listed below. The category you choose will depend on the topic you are trying to find information about. Most high quality college research papers are written using periodicals from the first category, scholarly journals. The periodicals in the other categories, especially news, general interest, and opinion magazines, can be useful as you gather background information and become familiar with current events and popular opinions. Choose from the list below to get hints on evaluating periodicals. A good way to tell which category a periodical falls under is to look at the first few pages of an issue. Look for the publication/subscription information. Frequently there is a statement about the purpose and intended audience. If the journal states that it is a "refereed" publication, it is a good indication that it contains scholarly articles that have had to pass a board of "referees" (scholars) who decide if they are worthy of inclusion in the publication. This is also frequently called the "peer review" process. If you need more help determining whether a periodical is scholarly or not, there are several reference books that evaluate periodicals. These books are located in the reference section of Milne Library. Scholarly JournalsArticles in scholarly journals are written by experts in a particular field, who are usually reporting the results of their original research or experiments for the benefit of other working in the field. The writers assume the reader is also a scholar, so they use the jargon of the discipline. An abstract (summary) of the article usually appears first. Articles are often lengthy, may contain charts and graphs (rarely photographs) and always cite their sources in a bibliography. Examples of scholarly journals:
News and Popular Interest MagazinesNews and popular interest magazine articles in newspapers and news magazines are written either by journalists who consult with the experts in a field and report their findings secondhand, or by the experts themselves. The language in these newspapers and magazines is geared toward the educated audience. Sometimes these periodicals have a narrow focus, such as psychology, but usually they cover general topics of current interest. The articles usually treat a subject broadly, with an overview or summary of current issues concerning a topic. Articles from popular magazines are short, easy to read, and rarely have depth. They usually aim to entertain, sell a product, persuade the reader, or raise curiosity. Furthermore, tabloid magazine articles provide the public with the latest gossip on their favorite celebrities and outrageously false tales of events like alien abductions. Articles in news and popular interest magazines rarely cite sources. They are heavily illustrated with photographs and are glossy and attractive in appearance. Examples of newspapers and news magazines:
Examples of popular magazines:
Examples of tabloid magazines:
Trade journalsArticles in trade journals are written by technicians and tradesmen, for their colleagues working in a particular industry. They focus on a narrow topic, such as glassblowing or music recording, and are written using the jargon of that discipline. The purpose of these articles is to share techniques and policies of interest only to practitioners in the field. Frequently illustrated, these periodicals are full of advertisements for products and services used in the industry. Examples of trade journals:
Opinion MagazinesArticles from opinion magazines are aimed at an educated audience but do not assume the reader is a scholar. The writers offer a particular viewpoint about politics or cultural affairs, and frequently there is a political, religious or cultural bias. Examples of opinion magazines:
Reference BooksThe following books are available in the reference section of Milne Library. They will help you determine the purpose, scope, and intended audience of thousands of periodicals.
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