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Advertising and Society: ADV 3002

Research help for the course, ADV 3002: Advertising and Society.

Why Trade Journals?

stack of trade journals

Question: What value lies in trade journals?  Why would a researcher choose a trade journal over a newspaper or even a scholarly journal?

Answer: Trade journals can be great resources for behind-the-scenes industry information because they report on trends, new products, and techniques useful to people already in that trade or business. The articles are short in length and can supply names, dates, facts and figures, along with quotes.

Why Use News?

Newspapers on The Wall Street Journal Rack. Photo by Philip Strong on UnsplashNews sources (newspapers, magazines, news blogs, news broadcasts, news feeds, etc.) are written by reporters and journalists on topics of current interest.

When and Why You Should Use News Sources:

  • You need information on a recent event or topic of interest
  • You need eyewitness accounts of events
  • You need reports on activities of state and local government
  • You need insights into local culture, arts & entertainment
  • You need perspectives from underrepresented groups
  • You need sources that advocate a particular viewpoint or opinion

Remember: Not all news sources are created equal! Some have hidden (or obvious!) motives or political beliefs. Do some background research into who owns the news organization to learn more about it.

Find Trade Publications in Business & Media-Related Databases

Specific Trade Publications to Browse

Find Newspaper & Magazine Articles in News Databases

Need to search for current newspaper or magazine articles - from multiple perspectives?  Try using the sources below.

Videos on Types of Sources

Source Types

What Types of Sources Do I Need?

The Information Life Cycle