What is the readership of a periodical? Does it have a conservative or liberal slant? Who owns the periodical? To answer such questions, try the following:
- Look closely at several issues of the periodical in question. Scan the first few pages of issues for a statement of purpose or the name of the organization that owns the periodical. Look at articles for an indication of a conservative or liberal slant.
- Refer to standard reference works such as Magazines for Libraries (ask for this at the Reference Desk) and Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory.
- Search in a periodical index such as Business Source Complete. Enter the name of the periodical in the Subject field to retrieve articles on shifts in editorial personnel, ownership, and readership trends.