Library Research Skills
Magazines
A magazine is a collection of articles and images about diverse topics of popular interest and current events. Usually these articles are written by journalists or scholars and are geared toward the average adult. Magazines may cover very "serious" material, but to find consistent scholarly information you should use journals.
Magazines, like journals and newspapers, are called "periodicals" because they are published at regular intervals throughout the year. Print magazines can be found in bookstores and libraries. Electronic magazines, called e-zines, can be found on the Web and sometimes in "digital library" collections.
Use a Magazine
- to find information or opinions about popular culture
- to find up-to-date information about current events
- to find general articles for people who are not necessarily specialists about the topic
Examples of Magazines
- News Week
- Time
- Business and Finance
- New Yorker
- Sports Illustrated
e-zines
Maybe you already know that "zine" is the name for a small press publication or alternative newsletter. An e-zine is usually an online magazine or an electronic version of a print magazine. E-zines represent one of the best things about the Web -- that anyone can publish online. E-zines can be independently created or major publishing companies can sponsor them. They can be liberal or conservative, weekly or monthly, professional or recreational.
Here's another thing to keep in mind: magazine is to journal as e-zine is to e-journal. An e-journal runs in academic circles and is more scholarly than an e-zine.
| If you need: | You might try |
|---|---|
| Current information about computer hackers being caught yesterday. |
Newspapers and the Web |
| Scholarly articles with research about theft of personal information over the Internet | Journals and books (and e-journals or e-books on the Web) |
| Popular articles about scams on the Internet | Magazines (and perhaps e-zines, magazines on the Web) |
Copyright (c) 2005 by Susan Kelly, Wexford County Library Service.
Adapted and modified (5th December 2005) from TILT, Texas Information Literacy Tutorial. This material is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the TILT Open Publication Licence. (the latest version is presently available at http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/yourtilt/).
