The term, magazines, is usually used to indicate the popular, or non-scientific periodicals.

A periodical written for a general reader. Articles are usually shorter and less scholarly than articles in journals. See also: Periodicals Manuscripts See: Special Collections

Most magazine publications for women in the post-war years conveyed the ideals of domesticity and femininity through articles on home-based craft, housework, fashions and childcare. Magazines and newspapers actively aligned their messages with the demands of economy in war and later played a key part in developing a post-war consumer-based economy.

Audience: General public to knowledgeable layperson. Coverage: Popular topics, current affairs. Written By: Professional journalists, not necessarily specialists in the field, poets and writers of fiction, essayists. Timelines: Very current coverage (one week to several months). Length: 250 - 5,000 words. Content: As with newspapers, a strong emphasis on reporting: who, what, where, when and why; general discussion; editorial opinion; graphics; photographs; advertisements; usually no bibliography or list of sources. Slant: Articles may reflect the editorial bias/slant of the magazine. See: Flow of Information.

are serials that are published less frequently than newspapers and cover topics of general interest. They may be geared to one part of the general population.

Commercial publications intended for a general, popular audience. They usually have short, simply written articles for laymen and non-professionals. Examples include Reader's Digest, Time, Sports Illustrated, Economist, Scientific American, etc. Magazine articles usually do not contain footnotes or bibliographies. NOTE: Magazines may not be appropriate choices for scholarly research, particularly at the graduate level. Use databases to identify and locate magazine articles.