COMP 200 - Morris

A trade publication, also known as a trade journal or trade magazine, is a regularly published collection of articles that address topics of interest to members of a particular profession, industry, or trade.

Characteristics of trade publications:

• Target audience: Trade publications are typically targeted at professionals working in a particular industry or field.
• Authors: Professionals in the field, or journalists who specialize in writing about that field.
• Content: Trade publications typically publish articles on industry trends, news, best practices, and other topics of interest to their target audience.
• Format: Trade publications are typically published in print or online format.
• Frequency: Trade publications may be published on a weekly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, or annual basis.

Using the Library Databases you can find trade journals by looking in the databases that index magazines and journals and then narrow by trade journals.  

• ProQuest Research Library - put in your search scroll down to SOURCE TYPES, pick TRADE PUBLICATIONS.

• Business Source Complete (A-Z Database Link) is an excellent source of trade journals for business.

• Search Everything - On the library homepage.  Do a search and then limit to Trade Publications in the SOURCE TYPE filters on the right.

If you want to find a specific trade journal, for example, Billboard, there is a special tool on the library homepage for that.

Under FIND, in the webpage banner, select Journals.

Type the name of your journal in the search box and SEARCH.

The result will show you all the databases that index that magazine, and the range of dates available to you.  You can search with keywords in the search box, or select a database that suits your needs to browse each issue.  Note:  Advertisements are usually not indexed by database providers.

• AdWeek (advertising)
• AdAge (advertising)
• Billboard (music and entertainment industries)
• The Chronicle of Higher Education (higher education)
• Engineering News Record (engineering)
• Forbes (business)
• Law360 (law)
• Nursing Management (nursing)
• PC Magazine (computers)
• Primary Matters (elementary education)
• Publishers Weekly (book publishing)
• Restaurant Business (restaurants)
• Rolling Stone (music industry)
• The Wall Street Journal (business)
• WD (Women's Wear Daily) (fashion)

For local trade information, local newspapers can be a good source of information. 

Use NEWSBANK

to find your local newspaper.

Use MORE SEARCH OPTIONS, then North America,

• or THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 

• or THE MORNING CALL,

• or THE READING EAGLE,

• or PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPERS

In the blue boxes toward the bottom of the webpage

Search by the name of the industry or specific business for more information.