What is Periodical Literature?
Periodical literature includes newspapers, magazines and journals. The MCC Library at Red Mountain subscribes to a wide range of print periodicals including:
The Western Historical Quarterly, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Mindful
Come browse our collection! Older issues are located either under the stacks or behind the Circulation Desk. Please ask for help if you can't find what you are looking for!
Is there a difference between People Magazine and American Journal of Clinical Nutrition??
| Scholarly Sources | Popular Sources | |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Scholars, researchers, practitioners | General public |
| Authors | Experts in the field (i.e., faculty members, researchers) Articles are signed, often including author's credentials and affiliation |
Journalists or freelance writers Articles may or may not be signed |
| Footnotes | Includes a bibliography, references, notes and/or works cited section | Rarely includes footnotes |
| Editors | Editorial board of outside scholars (known as peer review) | Editor works for publisher |
| Publishers | Often a scholarly or professional organization or academic press | Commercial, for profit |
| Writing Style | Assumes a level of knowledge in the field Usually contains specialized language (jargon) Articles are often lengthy |
Easy to read - aimed at the layperson Articles are usually short, and often entertain as they inform |
| General Characteristics | Primarily print with few pictures Tables, graphs, and diagrams are often included Usually few or no advertisements Often have "journal," "review," or "quarterly" as part of the title Usually have a narrow subject focus |
Contains ads and photographs Glossy Often sold at newsstands or bookstores Usually have quite a broad subject focus |