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Types of Periodicals

Indexes for all types of periodicals are available from the UTSA Library website under Find Databases & Articles.

If the full text of the article is not available in the database you're using, search UCAT, the UTSA Library catalog for the title of the periodical to see if the Library has the item in a printed format and where it is located in the Library. Or, try the UTSA Library E-Journal Locator to see if the article is available online in another database.

Periodical	Characteristics	UTSA Library Access
Newspaper	Current information News stories and commentary Texts of speeches, etc. Geographic focus	Use News Databases such as: NewsBank Newsfile
Popular Magazine	Current events overviews Non-technical language Glossy pictures Advertisements	Use Basic Research Databases such as: ProQuest Research Library
Trade Journal	Written for practitioners in applied fields Product information Current trends and practices	Use Basic Research Databases or Subject Indexes such as: ProQuest Research Library Library Literature
Journal of Opinion	Written from a political viewpoint General educated audience Commentary on politics, society	Use Basic Research Databases such as: ProQuest Research Library
Scholarly Journal	Reports of original research In-depth analysis of topics Uses technical vocubulary Format may contain: Methods, Results, Conclusion, Bibliography, etc.	Use Subject Indexes such as: PsycINFO

Still can't tell the difference? These library resources at can help:
Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory / Reference Desk Z6941 .U5 or ulrichsweb.com
Magazines for Libraries / Reference Desk Z6941 .K2
See also: UTSA Library subject guide Scholarly Journals v. Popular Magazine Articles