"Periodicals"

What I appreciate about many periodical articles is how current they are. Even if the subject matter is historical, the author is still presenting the material in a new way to give fresh insight. Many articles contain new ideas or cutting-edge innovations. Periodicals also contain articles by a variety of authors; reading multiple perspectives on subjects can be very eye-opening. It can be refreshing to read about something new a teacher is doing in their classroom and then try it out in your own. 

Periodicals are invaluable tools for learning, and they reflect the various interests of our society. What a progressive way to learn about something new and to gain information through the experiences of others.

I think that the following quote from the author really captures the essence of periodicals and their value:

"While books may mark the milestones of a particular subject, periodicals chart the small steps, false trails, and dead ends that are travelled along the way, and give diversion, enjoyment, and information."

To me, this quote captures the essence of how "in the moment" articles on periodicals can be. 

"Predatory Publishers are Corrupting Public Access"

I did not realize open-access publishing had become such an issue in today's society. What should be something that is positive has become potentially dangerous for those looking to publish. I went to the author's website. Scholarly Open Access, and on it I found a long list of publishers with questionable practices. I was surprised by the length of this list! I also found it interesting that if publishers feel that their companies should not be listed as questionable, they have the opportunity to send in an appeal email with evidence proving otherwise. This article opened up my eyes to the dangers of open-access publishing. While the article specifically mentions this circumstance in the science world, I wonder what other fields this has occurred in.

"Scientific Articles Accepted (Personal Checks Too)"

As I began reading this article, I couldn't help but think to myself, "Have I ever been on a website that published articles simply for a fee? Have I ever used an article in my research that has not been credible or scholarly?" Interesting questions to consider. 

In a previous paragraph, I commented that I went to Jeffrey Beall's website and I found a 
long list of non-credible journals. This quote from Kolata's article is quite flooring:

"There were 20 publishers on his list in 2010, and now there are more than 300. He estimates that there are as many as 4,000 predatory journals today, at least 25 percent of the total number of open-access journals.

I think it's very sad that some credible open-access journals are being scrutinized because of the counterfeits now out there. The stories presented by Kolata evidence that even renowned scientists can be targeted as victims. To be honest, I am outraged that any publisher would do this to respected people.  

Experience with Periodical Articles

When I was at Crane we used periodicals in most of my education classes. I felt that I was pretty comfortable with finding and using them, but I have come to realize that there is still much I didn't know about these resources. I also did an independent research study for which I created an annotated bibliography, so I would say that I have had quite a bit of experience with the use of many periodicals for research purposes.   

That being said, I do believe that I still have more to learn about these resources and what they have to offer.