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ENGL 142 - Foundations of Story: How to Analyze Periodicals

What is a Periodical?

Periodicals are publications that are released at regular intervals (i.e., they are published "periodically"). Journals and magazines are two of the main types of periodicals and they are located on the 2nd floor of Jen Library. (Some of the newest magazines are behind the front desk.)

When analyzing magazines and journals, it is important to consider the following:

  • Publisher: Who owns and produces the journal/magazine?
  • Authors: Who writes the articles within the journal/magazine and what are their qualifications?
  • Target Audience: Who reads this journal/magazine?
  • Style: How does the journal/magazine utilize pictures and graphic design?
  • Articles: How long are the articles and are there citations?
  • Writing: What type of language and voice do the authors use?
  • Advertising: Are there any ads, and what is there content?

Types of Periodicals

Popular Magazine

Published by... a commercial firm/ company

Written by... journalists

Written to... entertain a general audience

Articles include... attention-grabbing content and advertisements

Language is... basic with no advanced terms

Trade Magazine/ Journal

Published by... a commercial firm or professional organization

Written by... professionals in the field or field-specific journalists

Written to... inform an audience of practitioners

Articles include... in-depth information and advertisements but usually no citations

Language is... accessible with field-specific terms

Scholarly/ Academic Journal

Published by... a university or academic association

Written by... researchers and scholars

Written to... inform an audience of students and scholars

Articles include... abstracts, citations, but no advertisements

Language is... advanced with field-specific terms