They can be located using Library Catalogs including NovaCat , the NSU Catalog. A periodical is a generic term which includes popular magazines, scholarly journals, and subject or professional publications. They usually provide information that is focused and in-depth and provides a current perspective on the topic. Periodicals are important because they are an excellent source for current information. Subjects that are new or too specialized to be covered in books can often be found in journals, magazines, and newspapers.
Periodicals have a variety of purposes and kinds of audiences.
They may include news, opinion, editorial comments, scholarly analysis and research. They range from newsletters of trade organizations to in-depth journals published by scientific societies and university presses. Scholarly journals are written for a specialized audience in a dry manner and using technical jargon. Articles normally include an abstract, a description of methodology, footnotes, and bibliography. Popular journals are written for a general audience using common terminology.