• What are periodicals?
• Where are the Library's periodicals listed?
• What are the Library's current subscriptions?

• Where can I find journals and magazines in the Library?
• How do I find articles?
• Using the Library's Printed Indexes

Periodicals are continuous publications such as journals, newspapers, or magazines. Issues are usually produced regularly (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually) and each issue contains one or more articles. There are thousands of periodicals in existence. Consult Magazines for Libraries REF Z6941 .M23 for more information.

Periodicals may be categorized as : popular magazines, trade/professional journals, scholarly journals, or newspapers. You may need to include any or all of these types in your research. This comparison chart explains the differences in the types of periodicals and may make your research easier.

One place to locate more information about periodicals is ingentaconnect.com Search engines such as Google may also be useful in locating a journal's website where back issues and articles may exist. (Look for a link to "archives" or past issues.)

The Library's catalog include a complete holdings information for all of the periodical titles the Library owns including newspaper, journals and magazines. The Library's periodicals may be available in print, microfiche or microfilm, or online in a database. Even though these titles have a call number in the Library's catalog, periodicals are shelved alphabetically by their titles.

The library also provides a printed list of its periodical holdings which can be found near the current periodical shelves. An online version of this list is also available. These lists are never as up to date as the library catalog.

Depending on factors such as age, format, and subscription status, titles and issues may be found in different areas of the Library:

• Current Periodicals and Back Periodicals - arranged alphabetically by title on shelves near the south windows in the main library
• Newspapers - shelved by title with the Current Periodicals. Retention periods vary.
• Microfiche and Microfilm - stored by journal title in the metal cabinets located near the copiers
• Periodical Storage - very old issues of some titles are kept in the basement. Ask for assistance to see this material.
• In an online subscription database.
  
  
  

The fastest way to find an article published since the 1980s is to use an article database, even if you just want to see what is contained in the print publications sitting on the library's shelves.

Articles published in journals, magazines, and newspapers are indexed in both printed indexes and in online databases. Depending on the topic, both printed and online sources may be needed to do a comprehensive search.

Articles published in the 1980's and earlier can generally be found only by looking through a printed index, although many online databases, just as JSTOR or Project Muse are adding this kind of content.

Logan library no longer has printed indexes available. Ask for assistance at the Reference Desk.

If you are doing research on the 1980s or earlier, some libraries still have printed indexes to the periodical literature that was published before the Computer Age began. Since 2008, Logan library no longer has printed indexes available but Essay and General Literature Index, Humanities Index and Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature are examples of index titles you may find in other libraries.

• To begin doing research in an index, choose the subject index appropriate to your topic.
  • The title of the index reflects its content. For example, use Reader's Guide to the Periodical Literature for general topics.
• Choose the time period in which you are interested (some indexes hold a year's worth of data, other multiple years)
• Look for your topic alphabetically in the pages of the index. Try looking for synonyms also.
• When you find citations you want to investigate further, use a copier to copy the page or write down the citation information.
• Check the Library catalog to see if the Library owns the specific journal issue cited. (Ask for assistance if you have difficulty reading the holdings information for a journal title.
• If the title is found in the catalog, locate the journal issues or ask for assistance.
• If the title is not in the catalog, ask a Librarian how to request the article through WorldCat's online Interlibrary loan feature or complete a printed request form and drop it off at the Reference Desk.