Trade and Industry Publications
A trade journal is a publication written for people who work in a specific trade or industry. Trade journals provide current industry news and articles about new products and trends, including regulatory developments which may affect an industry. Advertising and industry related job notices also appear in many trade publications.
If you are starting a business it's a good idea to read trade journals relating to the industry in which you will be operating. There are several ways to find trade journals for your industry :
Search in library databases using keywords to describe your industry, and then limit the results to trade publications. (Try using the two databases listed below.)
Many trade journals are now published on the Internet; some provide free access while others require a subscription or membership. Try a Google search using one word which describes your industry and include the word "magazine".
- Business Insights: EssentialsSearch by keywords to describe an industry ( i.e. bank, cosmetics, coffee, ) and then limit your search results to trade journals in the limit function "Search within results"
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowUse the "Advanced Search" function to search for industry publications by title or keyword and limit your results by "Publication Type" to trade publication.
Historical Trade Journals
Business publications and industry trade journals have been collected by the New York Public Library for more than 100 years. Some early issues, pre-1923, of these journals have now been digitized and may be accessed through the Library's catalog and Hathi Trust.
See this six-part blog —parts 1 through 6—for links to a selection of historical digitized business publications and industry trade journals.