Every genealogist knows that genealogy is a research enterprise. We spend countless hours in libraries, courthouses and archives poring over documents and books. We peer at microfilm readers until our eyes spin in our heads like the film on the spools. There are some important gems and nuggets of information in those magazines and newsletters that can yield results for the reader and researcher. A periodical can be defined as a publication that is issued at the same time on a regular basis.
Genealogical periodicals are a special breed.
Certainly they seek to inform the reader, but they also promote scholarly research techniques and citation of sources. They usually contain a mixture of articles, announcements of events, queries and advertisements. From a historical perspective, articles such as these provide you with a picture of a place in time and the people who participated in that time. Understanding the history of the times in which your ancestors lived, goes a long way in getting to know and understand them. Sometimes a periodical features the lineage of a specific family, complete with pedigree charts, family group sheets and occasional photographs.