For your research papers, you are required to use at least one book and two periodicals. Periodicals are publications that are printed and distributed at regular intervals. There are three main types of periodicals:
These may be found in both print or electronic (e.g. on the web or through the library's article databases) form.
Academic journals share a similar format to magazines but articles in a journal are written by scholars/professors for their academic field often with the purpose of sharing their current research. Characteristics of this type of article include:
Example Academic Journal Articles:
Magazines are written to entertain the general public. Some magazines are considered more reputable and informative, like Time, Scientific American, or The Economist, while others are meant purely for entertainment and are not objective sources of information, like Men's Health or Vogue. Magazines are often great for gauging societal interests and issues.
Newspapers are often published daily to report upon current events. Newspapers are often a great source for getting news on local areas, like the San Jose Mercury Newspaper, while others report more globally, like The New York Times. If you are researching a very current topic, a newspaper may be your best option since it is published daily. Like magazines, some news sources are considered more credible than others.