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A Guide to Career & Technical Education

What is a Trade Journal?

Also called trade publications & trade magazines, these are journal, magazine or newspaper that targets a specific industry or trade group. Trade journals will publish news and feature articles that focus on topics of interest to professionals in the target industry.  Industry-specific advertising and job postings are common.

Typically, trade publications:

  • Are not peer-reviewed. 
  • Ads are directed towards individuals in a particular profession
  • May contain job advertisements
  • Articles are written by individuals with knowledge of/in a particular field

How do I find trade journals?

If you know the title...

You can see if the library has access to it by putting the title into the Quick Search box or by using the Journals A-Z list.

In Databases...

Some, but not all, databases allow you to limit your search to trade publications.  For instance, in Business Source Complete before you hit the search button scroll down to the Search Options box. Then look for the Publication Type box under Limit Your Results. In Publication Type, scroll down until you find Trade Publication, click on it to add the limiter to your search.

In other databases, look to see if there's a filter for Publication Type or click on their help page.

For specific industries...

Try searching Google for a particular industry plus "trade journals" so: Education trade journals

Examples of Trade Publications

Image of Techniques cover May 2019 issue

 

Techniques is published by the Association for Career and Technical Education and written for career and technical educators. Read articles in Techniques from through the library's collection.

 

 

 

 

Training magazine is a 50-year-old professional development magazine that advocates training and workforce development as a business tool. Read Training through the library.

 

 

 

Issues

 

Phi Delta Kappan features articles, commentary pieces, and interviews about teaching and learning, school reform, leadership and governance, educational assessment, classroom tools and technology, professional development, social-emotional learning, equity in education, and many other topics. Read Phi Delta Kappan articles