ENGL 209: Write for Your Life

A professional or trade journal publishes news and items of interest for people working in an occupation or industry. Usually, a professional organization produces the trade journal and tailors it to the interests of its members. Oftentimes, the intention of the trade journal is for marketing ideas, products, or services to a specific industry or type of trade/ business. Although not peer-reviewed, a highly qualified editorial staff is responsible for the accuracy and credibility of content.

Try the following search tips to find a trade journal that is relevant to your future career:

1. Search a library database. Some (but not all) databases have trade journals. ProQuest Complete and EBSCO Research databases include many business-oriented databases that have trade journals. Try clicking on Publications, then limit results by source to trade journals and by subject. Don't see anything for your field? Try another database, or check with a librarian.

2. Identify a professional organization for your field, then visit their website to see if they produce any publications. They may also post career info and job openings. Look up your industry in Mergent First Research to find professional organizations and other industry information.

3. There are many other ways of learning what trade journals are relevant to your field: try talking with practitioners, visiting online forums, or Googling. When you've identified a trade journal you'd like to read, search for the title in the library's Journals List (below) to find out if we subscribe and how you can access it. 

4. Still need help finding or accessing a trade journal? This is a great question to ask a librarian (see box on the left for details).