Periodical literature (singularly called aperiodical publication or simply aperiodical) consists ofpublished works that appear in new releases on a regular schedule (issues ornumbers, often numerically divided into annualvolumes). The most familiar example of periodical literature is thenewspaper, but themagazine and theacademic journal are also periodicals, as are some modern websites,e-journals, and otherelectronic-only publications produced recurrently on a schedule. Periodical publications cover a wide variety of topics, from academic, technical, and trade, to general-interest subjects such asleisure andentertainment.
Articles within a periodical are usually organized around a single main subject or theme and include a title, date of publication, author(s), and brief summary of the article. A periodical typically contains an editorial section that comments on subjects of interest to its readers. Other common features are reviews of recently published books and films, columns that express the authors' opinions about various topics, and advertisements.
A periodical is a serial publication. Abook series is also a serial publication, but is not typically called a periodical. Anencyclopedia ordictionary is also a book, and might be called a serial publication if it is published in many different editions over time.
Periodicals are typically published and referenced byvolume and issue (also known as issue number or number).Volume typically refers to the number of years the publication has been circulated, andissue refers to how many times that periodical has been published during that year. For example, the April 2011 publication of a monthly magazine first published in 2002 would be listed as, "volume 10, issue 4".Roman numerals are sometimes used in reference to the volume number.[1]
Whenciting a work in a periodical, there are standardized formats such asThe Chicago Manual of Style. In the latest edition of this style, a work with volume number 17 and issue number 3 may be written as follows:
Sometimes, periodicals are numbered in absolute numbers instead of volume-relative numbers, typically since the start of the publication. In rare cases, periodicals even provide both: a relative issue number and an absolute number.[2] There is no universal standard for indicating absolute numbers, but often a '#' is used.
The first issue of a periodical is sometimes also called a premiere issue or charter issue.[3] The first issue may be preceded by dummy or zero issues. A last issue is sometimes called the final issue.[4]
Periodicals are often characterized by theirperiod (orfrequency) of publication.[5][6] This information often helps librarians make decisions about whether or not to include certain periodicals in their collection.[7] It also helps scholars decide which journal to submit their paper to.[8]
| Period | Meaning | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Quinquennially | Once per 5years | 1⁄5 per year |
| Quadriennially | Once per 4 years | 1⁄4 per year |
| Triennially | Once per 3 years | 1⁄3 per year |
| Biennially | Once per 2 years | 1⁄2 per year |
| Annually | Once per year | 1 per year |
| Semiannually, Biannually | Twice per year | 2 per year |
| Triannually | Thrice per year | 3 per year |
| Quarterly | Everyquarter | 4 per year |
| Bimonthly | Every 2months | 6 per year |
| Semi-quarterly | Twice per quarter | 8 per year |
| Monthly | Every month | 12 per year |
| Semi-monthly | Twice per month | 24 per year |
| Biweekly, Fortnightly | Every twoweeks | 26 per year |
| Weekly | Every week | 52 per year |
| Semi-weekly | Twice per week | 104 per year |
| Daily | Once perbusiness day | Varies |
Periodicals are often classified as either popular or scholarly. Popular periodicals are usually magazines (e.g.,Ebony andEsquire).Scholarly journals are most commonly found in libraries and databases. Examples areThe Journal of Psychology and theJournal of Social Work.
Trade magazines are also examples of periodicals. They are written for an audience of professionals in particular fields. As of the early 1990s, there were over 6,000 academic, business, scientific, technical, and trade publications in the United States alone.[10]
These examples are related to the idea of an indefinitely continuing cycle of production and publication: magazines plan to continue publishing, not to stop after a predetermined number of editions. By contrast, a novel might be published in monthly parts, a method revived after the success ofThe Pickwick Papers byCharles Dickens.[11] This approach is calledpart-publication, particularly when each part is from a whole work, or aserial, for example incomic books. It flourished during the nineteenth century, for example withAbraham John Valpy'sDelphin Classics, and was not restricted tofiction.[12] A practical differentiation between a serially published book and abook series is that the first involves pieces of a book being released over time (e.g., chapters, sections) whereas the latter involves complete books being released one after another. The distinction is a little blurrier in the case of a multivolumereference book released via part-publication, where eachvolume is from one viewpoint a "whole book" but from another viewpoint not a whole work. TheEncyclopædia Metropolitana and theLondon Encyclopædia were instances of the latter type.
TheInternational Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is to serial publications (and by extension, periodicals) essentially what theInternational Standard Book Number (ISBN) is to books: a standardized reference number. However, the ISSN only identifies the overall serial, not any specific volume or issue, so is of much less utility in finding and accessing particular content.
Postal services often carry periodicals at a preferential rate; for example, Second Class Mail in the United States only applies to publications issued at least quarterly.[13]
