Magazines and journals are called periodicals because they are issued on a regular or "periodic" basis – they might arrive daily, weekly, monthly, four times a year (quarterly), once a year (annually) or anything in between. Periodicals are usually separated into two major groups: popular and scholarly.

Use popular magazines when you need:

• information or opinions about popular culture
• up-to-date information about current events
• general articles by people who are not necessarily specialists about the topic

Use scholarly journals (also called academic or scientific journals) when you need:

• original, primary research on a specific topic
• articles and essays written by scholars or subject experts
• factual, documented information to reinforce a position
• bibliographies that point you to other relevant research  

Use a newspaper to:

• find current information about international, national and local events
• find editorials, commentaries, expert or popular opinions

The following videos explain how to use Discovery search.

Discovery is our library's version of Google. It searches all the STCC Library's research databases for scholarly articles covering all disciplines. Search any topic by keyword (not by asking a question). Example: gun control.

Using Discovery Search (how-to video)  |  Can't find what you're looking for? Try InterLibrary loan.

Databases by Subject  |  Databases A to Z

To access the databases, click one of the links above. If you know the name of the database you would like to use, choose Databases A to Z. If you are unsure of what database to use for your research, click Databases by Subject and then narrow down your choices by the subject your research falls under.