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Research Issues in Your Career: Trade Journals / Trade Publications

What topics and challenges are being discussed by professionals in your field of study? Use this guide to explore what you might find as you graduate from WSU and enter the working world.

What is a "Trade Journal?"

Copied directly from Wikipedia: "A trade journal or trade magazine is a periodical, magazine, or publication printed with the intention of target marketing to a specific industry or type of trade/business. The collective term for this area of publishing is the trade press.

Trade journals typically contain advertising content focused on the industry in question with little if any general-audience advertising. They also generally contain industry-specific job notices, a highly pertinent aspect to many readers. [1] Many trade publications can also be considered newsmagazines with a very specific topical focus.

In some instances, the boundary between trade publication and peer-reviewed  journal has blurred. One such example is BioTechniques, which contains peer-reviewed technical reports and technology reviews while containing heavy advertising content, a significant proportion of the articles being authored by or in collaboration with vendors who advertise in the same issue."

Finding Trade Journals

These article indexes are some of the best you can search for articles from trade journal publications. However, you may want to explore the WSU Libraries' subject guides for more ideas.

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