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Types of Periodicals

Uses and features of journals, magazines, and newspapers.

Types of Periodicals

Spectrum from scholarly sources to popular sources, with different types of periodical mediums.

Newspaper Characteristics

  • Current information
  • News stories
  • Local & regional focus
  • Analysis & opinion on current events
  • Speeches (excerpts, usually)
  • Some book reviews

Black and White Vancouver Sun Newspaper, Left side has low-quality image of scaffolding and construction workers within a partially constructed stadium. Right side has article reporting that Canadian-born children of immigrants are unable to access social services.

Screenshot taken from Vancouver Sun, 2011, Mar 03, A1. Retrieved from:

  • Written for a general audience

Article titled 'Moo-toopia', low-quality image of a man standing infront of cattle within milking stalls.

Screenshot taken from Vancouver Sun, March 14, 2011, A2.  Retrieved from:

  • Journalists
  • Sources are rarely cited in full

Screenshot of news article with red box around facts asserting rates of pregnancy from the 70s to 2000s, noting that finding the source for this information may require detective work.

Screenshot taken from Vancouver Sun, June 17, 2015, B2. Retrieved from:

  • Commercial/trade publishers
  • Pictures & charts
  • Some ads

Screenshot of news page, top half has multiple articles, lower half has advertisement for Annual Art Walk and a notification of the BCIT 2015 Honorary Doctor of Technology.

Screenshot from Vancouver Sun, June 17, 2015, A13. Retrieved from:

Example Newspapers

Things to look for:

  1. Short articles
  2. Use of jargon
  3. Current and contemporary events and opinions

Access Tools (Examples)

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