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Research Basics

Based on Sandra Riggs' Research Basics Guide

Database suggestions for popular magazines and news

Multisearch may give you an overwhelming number of results. Academic Search Complete is a good alternative. It is a broad database including many formats, from peer-reviewed journals to magazines and newspapers. You can narrow a set of results to only include newspapers and/or magazines. The default will be for you to see results of all types (box below, left). To limit, click on the boxes for the sources types that you want. Once you've made selections, an active maroon "Update" button will appear.

Sources in a result list     Limiting sources

You can also search databases that are specifically for news using our Newspaper and News Database guide.

 

Popular, academic, and trade

You may find a source, but not be sure what kind of source it is. Some databases will label sources broadly, such as "periodical" or "article". Check this chart, or ask a librarian for help.

  Popular Magazines Scholarly (including peer-reviewed) Trade Publications
Content

Current events; general interest articles

Research results/reports; reviews of research (review articles); book reviews 

 Articles about a certain business or industry
Purpose To inform, entertain, or elicit an emotional response To share research or scholarship with the academic community To inform about business or industry news, trends, or products 
Author Staff writers, journalists, freelancers Scholars/researchers Staff writers, business/industry professionals
Audience General public Scholars, researchers, students Business/industry professionals
Review Staff editor Editorial board made up of other scholars and researchers. Some articles are peer-reviewed Staff editor
Citations May not have citations, or may be informal (ex. according to... or links) Bibliographies, references, endnotes, footnotes Few, may or may not have any
Frequency Weekly/monthly Quarterly or semi-annually Weekly/monthly
Ads Numerous ads for a variety of products Minimal, usually only for scholarly products like books Ads are for products geared toward specific industry
Examples Time; Vogue; Rolling Stone; New Yorker Journal of Southern History; Developmental Psychology; American Literature; New England Journal of Medicine Pharmacy Times; Oil and Gas Investor Magazine

Table source: UT Libraries