If you are concerned about whether the article you want to use falls within a particular category, look for a bibliography, or lack of one, at the end of the article. Most scholarly publications will identify the department and college, university or research lab where the author works. If you still have questions about what type of publication you have selected, after identifying these distinguishing features, talk with a reference librarian or your instructor. The most efficient way to locate articles in periodicals is to use indexes. Finding the Right Indexes University libraries have hundreds of different indexes covering all subject areas and types of publications.
Some indexes focus exclusively on providing access to the contents of popular magazines.
The Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature and The Alternative Press Index are two of the more frequently used sources for finding News articles on current issues. In college and university libraries, where most of the periodicals in the collection are scholarly, the majority of indexes are geared towards providing access to academic publications. The software will allow you to look at and compare selections your retrieve. With so many index options to choose from, finding the appropriate indexes to search can be the most important step in any search for periodical articles. For additional help determining which indexes are best suited to your needs, consult the handouts in the reference area, talk with a reference librarian, or follow the guidelines provided on the library web pages.