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Periodical Essay Definition and Examples

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A periodical essay is an essay (that is, a short work of nonfiction) published in a magazine or journal--in particular, an essay that appears as part of a series.

The 18th century is considered the great age of the periodical essay in English. Notable periodical essayists of the 18th century include Joseph Addison, Richard Steele , Samuel Johnson , and Oliver Goldsmith .

Observations on the Periodical Essay

"The periodical essay in Samuel Johnson's view presented general knowledge appropriate for circulation in common talk. This accomplishment had only rarely been achieved in an earlier time and now was to contribute to political harmony by introducing 'subjects to which faction had produced no diversity of sentiment such as literature, morality and family life.'"  (Marvin B. Becker, The Emergence of Civil Society in the Eighteenth Century . Indiana University Press, 1994)

The Expanded Reading Public and the Rise of the Periodical Essay

"The largely middle-class readership did not require a university education to get through the contents of  periodicals and pamphlets written in a middle style and offering instruction to people with rising social expectations. Early eighteenth-century publishers and editors recognized the existence of such an audience and found the means for satisfying its taste. . . . [A] host of periodical writers, Addison and Sir Richard Steele outstanding among them, shaped their styles and contents to satisfy these readers' tastes and interests. Magazines--those medleys of borrowed and original material and open-invitations to reader participation in publication--struck what modern critics would term a distinctly middlebrow note in literature. "The most pronounced features of the magazine were its brevity of individual items and the variety of its contents. Consequently, the essay played a significant role in such periodicals, presenting commentary on politics, religion, and social matters among its many topics ."  (Robert Donald Spector, Samuel Johnson and the Essay . Greenwood, 1997)

Characteristics of the 18th-Century Periodical Essay

"The formal properties of the periodical essay were largely defined through the practice of Joseph Addison and Steele in their two most widely read series, the "Tatler" (1709-1711) and the "Spectator" (1711-1712; 1714). Many characteristics of these two papers--the fictitious nominal proprietor, the group of fictitious contributors who offer advice and observations from their special viewpoints, the miscellaneous and constantly changing fields of discourse , the use of exemplary character sketches , letters to the editor from fictitious correspondents, and various other typical features--existed before Addison and Steele set to work, but these two wrote with such effectiveness and cultivated such attention in their readers that the writing in the Tatler and Spectator served as the models for periodical writing in the next seven or eight decades."  (James R. Kuist, "Periodical Essay." The Encyclopedia of the Essay , edited by Tracy Chevalier. Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997)

The Evolution of the Periodical Essay in the 19th Century

"By 1800 the single-essay periodical had virtually disappeared, replaced by the serial essay published in magazines and journals. Yet in many respects, the work of the early-19th-century ' familiar essayists ' reinvigorated the Addisonian essay tradition, though emphasizing eclecticism, flexibility, and experientiality. Charles Lamb , in his serial Essays of Elia (published in the London Magazine during the 1820s), intensified the self-expressiveness of the experientialist essayistic voice . Thomas De Quincey 's periodical essays blended autobiography and literary criticism , and William Hazlitt sought in his periodical essays to combine 'the literary and the conversational.'"  (Kathryn Shevelow, "Essay." Britain in the Hanoverian Age, 1714-1837 , ed. by Gerald Newman and Leslie Ellen Brown. Taylor & Francis, 1997)

Columnists and Contemporary Periodical Essays

"Writers of the popular periodical essay have in common both brevity and regularity; their essays are generally intended to fill a specific space in their publications, be it so many column inches on a feature or op-ed page or a page or two in a predictable location in a magazine. Unlike freelance essayists who can shape the article to serve the subject matter, the columnist more often shapes the subject matter to fit the restrictions of the column. In some ways this is inhibiting because it forces the writer to limit and omit material; in other ways, it is liberating, because it frees the writer from the need to worry about finding a form and lets him or her concentrate on the development of ideas."  (Robert L. Root, Jr., Working at Writing: Columnists and Critics Composing . SIU Press, 1991)

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Periodical Essay – Definition & Meaning

The periodical essay is called ‘periodical’ because the periodical essays appeared in journals and magazines which appeared periodically in the eighteenth century. It flourished in the 18th century and died in the same century. Its aim was public rather than private. Its object was social reformation.

It conformed to the neo-classical ideal which placed a premium, not so much on the personal revelation and confession of the author himself as on his duty to inform the mind and delight the heart of the reading public. The periodical essay differs from the essays of Montaigne, Bacon, Hazlitt or Lamb because their essays were published collectively at one time in a single volume and presented a personal point of view to the readers.

The periodical essay like its other brothers, the novel and coffee houses tended to refine the taste and tone, the cultural and moral outlook of the educated and the wealthy middle classes. It was the literature of the middle classes, for the middle classes and by the middle classes of the eighteenth century. It has all the features of journalism-a wider appeal, a larger coverage. Brevity and precision, simple and chaste English, delicate tone and elegant style. The periodical essay had a double aim: to amuse and to improve. The subjects discussed by the periodical essayists were connected with the varied aspects of the social life with the city of London in the center. The style was deliberately easy, lucid and refined.

The periodical essay began In the year 1709 with the first periodical essay appearing in the Tattler on April 12. The real makers of the periodical essay were men of contrasted characters and temperaments. The Tattler and The Spectator set the fashion for all periodical papers and were soon followed by other imitations. Steele himself brought out the Guardian in 1713, and soon a host of other imitations like the Female Tattler, Whisper made their appearance and thus testifying to the popularity of this class of writing. The best of the wits of the age contributed to all these papers. Swift, Pope, Berkeley. Congreve, Parnell and others wrote occasionally for these papers and the vogue thus created for literary journalism continued right through the century and the next. Almost all the great figures in the literary field contributed either occasionally or regularly to such periodicals. Apart from the political nature of such periodicals, these papers became the chief organ for literary self-expression. Addison started Whig Examiner and Steele came out with Examiner, representing the Tory point of view. Fielding likewise was connected with the Champion; and the Craftsman and the Common-sense were two other journals of the same political colouring as the Champion. Ambrose Phillips made use of the Free Thinker to air forth his views. There were the Plain Dealer and the Farrot too. The growth of the political parties gave to these periodicals a strong party bias and each paper became the organ of one political party or the other. But while their political nature and learning are unmistakable their use of literary wits as the service ground is encouraging. They afforded to the literary aspirants an outlet for self-expression and by so doing, brought out to the full their talents.

The greatest and the best figures of the periodical essay are Addison and Steele. Addison and Steele was also associated with a darker and more somber personality, the greatest and most biting satirist of the age, Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) who transcended the limits of the periodical essay. His important contributions to the periodical essay are :

• Predictions for the Year 1708.
• Account of the Death of Mr. Partridge,
• Letter to a Very Young Lady on Her Marriage,
• Meditations upon a Broom-stick, etc.

In the pleasant art of living with one’s fellows, Addison is easily a master, “Swift is the storm, roaring against the ice and frost of the late spring of English life. Addison is the sunshine, which melts the ice and dries the mud and makes the earth thrill with light and hope. Like Swift, he despised shams, but unlike him, he never lost faith in humanity and in all his satires there is a gentle kindliness which makes one think better of his fellow men, even while he laughs to their little vanities” (Long).

To an age of fundamental coarseness and artificiality Addison came with a wholesome message of refinement and simplicity, much as Ruskin and Amold spoke to a later age of materialism; only Addison’s success was greater than theirs because of his greater knowledge of life and his greater faith in men. He attacks all the little vanities and all the big vices of his time, not in Swift’s terrible way, which makes us feel hopeless of humanity, but with a kindly ridicule and gentle humour which takes speedy improvement for granted. To read Swift’s brutal “Letters to a Young Lady”, and then to read Addison’s ‘Dissection of a Beau’s Head” and his “Dissection of a Coquette’s Heart” is to know at once the secret of the latter’s more enduring influence.

Addison’s essays are the best picture of the new social life of England. They advanced the art of literary criticism to a much higher stage than it had ever before reached, and led Englishmen to a better knowledge and appreciation of their own literature. Furthermore, in Ned Softly the literary dabbler, Will Wimble the poor relation, Sir Andrew Freeport the merchant, Will Honeycomb the fop, and Sir Roger the country gentleman, they give us characters that live forever as part of that goodly company which extends from Chaucer’s country parson to Kipling’s Mulvaney.

Addison and Steele not only introduced the modern essay, but in such characters as cited above they herald the dawn of the modern novel. Of all his essays the best known and loved are those which introduce us to Sir Roger de Coverley, the genial dictator of life and manners in the quiet English country.

In style these essays are remarkable as showing the growing perfection of the English language. Johnson says, “Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison”. And again he says, “Give nights and days, sir, to the study of Addison if you mean to be a good writer, or, what is more worth, an honest man”.

So the periodical essays, more particularly the essays of Addison and Steele, are well worth reading once for their own sake, and many times for their influence in shaping a clear and graceful style of writing.

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Steele is the originator of the Tattler, and joins with Addison in creating the Spectator-the two periodicals which, in the short space of less than four years, did more to influence subsequent literature than all other magazines of the century combined. On account of his talent in writing political pamphlets, Steele was awarded the position of official gazetteer. He could combine news, gossip and essays instantaneously.

Johnson’s Rambler is usually ranked as the first of the classical periodicals after The Guardian. Johnson also contributed to The Idler and The Adventurer. His style is mannered and Latinised. His is a learned prose. His vocabulary is heavy and sonorous. He is the classic of pedantic prose. Another luminary of the periodical essay is Oliver Goldsmith. He started his career as a periodical essayist with his contributions to The Bee, a weekly which did not survive its 8 th number. Among his best periodical essays mention must be made of “The City Night Piece”, “The Public Ledger”, “The Citizens of the World”, etc. Oliver Goldsmith should be remembered for his sympathetic humour, magic of his personality, simplicity, chastity and carefulness. His style is always light and refreshing. His descriptions are vivid and picturesque. He carried the personal vein of Steele, his compatriot, a step further and heralded the autobiographical manner of Charles Lamb.

Later on the romantic writers like Lamb, Hazlitt and De Quincey also contributed their essays to the periodicals of their time, but their essays are very much different in spirit of manner from those of the real practitioners of the periodical essay.

The rise of the periodical essay can be attributed to various causes such as vast growth of a reading public, rise of the middle classes, growth and development of numerous periodicals, the rise of the two political parties (the Whig and the Tory), the rise of the coffee-houses as centers of social and political life, the need of social reform and the popular reception accorded by the public to the periodical literature. The periodical essay was a very popular form of literature and communication and recreation in the eighteenth century because it was the mirror of the Augustan age in England” (A. R. Humphreys). It was the social chronicler of the time. It was particularly suited to the genius of the new patrons, because it was the literature of the bourgeoisie. It gave them what they wanted. It gave them pleasure as well as instruction. It was a delicate and sensitive synthesis of literature and journalism. It was neither too ‘literary’ to be comprehended and appreciated by the common people nor too journalistic to meet the fate of ephemeral writings. It could be read. Appreciated, and discussed at the tea-table or in the coffee-house. Its lightness and brevity were its two major popularising factors. The periodical essay, normally, covered not more than two sides of a folio half-sheet; quite often it was even shorter. Furthermore, it was suited to the moral temper of the age. It struck a delicate and rational balance between the strait-jacketed morality of the Puritan and the reckless Bohemianism of the Cavalier. In the words of A. R. Humphreys, “conventionally the code of pleasure was that of the rake: Steele and Addison wished to equate it with virtue, and virtue with religion”. Above all, the periodical essay has a wider appeal to various sections of the eighteenth century society. It appealed not only to the lovers of literature and literary criticism, but also to those who were interested in men and manners, fashions and recreation. It appealed very well to women. The authors were writing for men as well as women, said Mrs. Jane H. Jack.

The periodical essay further avoided heated religious and political controversies and maintained a balance, following generally a middle path. Mr. Spectator says in the very first issue of The Spectator: “I never espoused any party with violence, and am resolved to observe an exact neutrality between the Whigs and Tories…” It also showed a healthy interest in trade, and thus appealed to the traders and merchants too. Lastly, the periodical essay became popular due to the chaste style of its contributors. They used simple and everyday language. It covered all accounts of gallantry, pleasure and entertainment, poetry, learning, foreign and domestic news.

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What Is a Periodical Essay?

Publication Date: 06 Mar 2019

A periodical essay is a type of writing that is issued on a regular basis as a part of a series in editions such as journals, magazines, newspapers or comic books. It is typically published daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly and is referenced by volume and issue.

Volume indicates the number of years when the publication took place while issue denotes how many times the periodical was issued during the year. For example, the May 1711 publication of a monthly journal that was first published in 1702 would be referred to as, “volume 10, issue 5”. At times, roman numerals were also used to indicate the volume number. For the citation of text in a periodical, such a format as The Chicago Manual of Style is used.

The periodical essay appeared in the early 1700s and reached its highest popularity in the middle of the eighteenth century. London magazines such as The Tatler  and The Spectator  were the most popular and influential periodicals of that time. It is considered that The Tatler  introduced such literary genre as periodical essay while The Spectator  improved it. The magazines remained influential even after they stopped publications. Their issues were later published in the form of a book, which was in demand for the rest of the century.

Richard Steele and Joseph Addison are considered to be the figures who contributed the most to the development of the eighteen-century literary genre of periodical essays. They managed to create a winning team where Addison was more of an eloquent writer while Steele made his contribution by being an outstanding organizer and editor.

Typically, the essays can be classified into such two types as popular and scholarly. Also, this literary form was written for an audience of professionals who preferred to read business, technical, academic, scientific and trade publications.

However, for the most part, the periodicals were about morality, emotions and manners. Readers expected essays to be common sense and thought-provoking. Publications were relatively short and mainly characterized as those which provide an opinion inspired by contemporary events. Periodicals were meant to be not “heavy”, especially those which were referred to as popular reading. The majority of topics in the periodicals were supposed to be appropriate for the common talk and general discussion.

Many essays were written for female readers as a target audience. Periodicals were aimed at middle-class people who were literate enough and could afford to buy the editions regularly. The essays were written in a so-called middle style and high education was not required for reading the majority of the contents. Over time, many periodical writers shaped their styles in order to satisfy the literary taste of the audience.

All periodical essays tend to be brief but texts written by a columnist and freelance essayist would slightly differ in length. The former writes his material trying to shape the subject of discussion to fit the requirements of the column. The latter though can take advantage of a more liberating approach by crafting his work the way he wants as long as his text manages to effectively highlight the subject.

Periodicals evolved in the 19 th  century and single essays were almost fully replaced by serial essay publishing. The writings became more eclectic, flexible and brave being at the same time literary and conversational.

Do you need the help of a professional essay writer ? Contact us today and get quality assistance with writing any type of paper. Getting good grades has never been so easy!

British Literature Wiki

Newspapers and Periodicals

To read a newspaper was to read in part the work of fellow readers ~The Longman Anthology of British Literature

The Newspaper of 18th century England contained different informative contents than today’s newspapers. In the beginning, the “newspaper” took the form of a news-book, pamphlet or just a piece of paper with notes. During its circulation, periodicals made “the transition from a small pamphlet containing some definite piece of news…to the sheet published periodically under a distinctive and regularly repeated name” ( “The Growth of Journalism”). The news-books were smaller than the papers seen today, but they were similar in that they were also distributed weekly to the public and as stated in “The Growth of Journalism , ” the news-book/pamphlet did not have the same formal news style as that of the full newspaper. It was only after 1665 and the production of the Oxford Gazette when the newspaper “was a folio half sheet, printed on both side in double columns” (Sutherland vii). No matter what the size, with the growth of these papers came the growth of a new type of literature for people to read. From the newspaper also surfaced the production of periodicals, which portrayed more the identity of the author/editor of the paper. It was in the 18th century that “the inventors of the periodical essay extended the tactic of the fictitious self into new territory” (Damrosch 2462), providing for the reader insight into the author’s feelings toward public issues. “The periodical press…gave its readers a new way of seeing the world, and of seeing themselves in the world, as private beings and public entities” (Damro

Interest in papers increased as newspaper articles covered topics such as politics, the lives of public individuals, and business. Furthermore, with the growth of papers came the increase of readership as newspapers went from being just a limited conversation among friends, to appearing in London coffeehouses , to being distributed everywhere as they are today. However along with the popularity came the government’s desire to control what would and wouldn’t appear in articles. The government attempted to monitor the paper as they were “issued by, or in behalf of, groups of politicians, or news purveyors” (The Growth of Journalism). “Monarchs and politicians tried hard to control the press, to dictate its views and to contain its criticisms, but in Britain the phenomenon proved too large for such arrant limitation (Damrosch 2453), as some well-know writers, such as “Swift, Addison, and Steele” wrote and contributed their own material to newspapers (“The Growth of Journalism”). In addition to newspapers, periodicals also became another avenue for author’s to express themselves.

For readers newspapers detailed the news and notes of current events and the works of famous literary authors. Gossip and interest grew as readers were able to get together and discuss the contents of the newspaper where ever they were distributed. “The press not only stimulated but also simulated conversation (Damrosch). In coffeehouses, interaction among the public was created by the periodical and its articles and the atmosphere contained a “sociability which is part of the periodical’s means of production, its consumption and its subject matter” (Iona 77). With the distribution of papers everywhere from coffeehouses to businesses, a wide range of individuals were able to read these periodicals. “Since periodicals were frequently lent out, shared, read aloud or consulted in a public place, a single copy may have been read by many people” (Iona 9). Newspapers were similar to novels in the sense that they were for everyone to read as either a hobby or to make conversation with friends. The articles presented a different world for the reader to be a part of whether following politics or the local news. In addition, as with many early novels, newspapers traded on the assumption that they were reporting what “actually” happened, though they often blurred the boundaries between fact and fiction.

With newspapers growing in size and number, the restored monarchy made every attempt to control the paper’s appearance and the content it contained. The government created “licenser’s of the press,” in Sir John Berkenhead and Roger L’Estrange for example, who would “hunt down heretical and seditious publications” (Sutherland 1). Another way the government attempted to monitor the paper was with the introduction of the Licensing acts. During the Restoration period the restored monarchy “tried through strict licensing laws to limit the flow and narrow the range of newsprint, but whenever those laws lapsed, innovations [in the newspaper] abounded” (Damrosch 2453). The Licensing Act of 1662 pertained to periodicals and public writings and how they had to contain the author’s and publisher’s name and had to be given to a licenser before publication. The control of printing was in the hands of the government and all papers had to be licensed in order to be produced for the public (Licensing Act). In response to these laws authors worked to publish papers which showcased how they thought their periodicals should look, which led to the different forms of the paper. The content switched from that which was focused on the political to that which contained the writings of novelists and the individualities of newspaper editors such as Richard Steele’s The Spectator .

1665- The London (Oxford) Gazette, government published paper 1702- The Daily Courant, the first English daily newspaper 1709- The Tatler, weekly published periodical 1711- The Spectator newspaper is published 1713- The first journals to be published weekly 1731- The Gentleman’s Magazi ne, was similar to that of the newspaper but was composed more of works created from authors of the time period

For more information: Eighteenth Century Journalists and Periodicals Return to The Restoration and the 18th Century homepage

Works Cited

Damrosch, David, and Kevin J.H. Dettmar. The Longman Anthology of British Literature . 3rd ed. United States: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006. Iona Italia, The Rise of Literary Journalism in the Eighteenth Century . New York, NY:Routledge, 2005. “Licensing Act.” The Literary Encyclopedia. 2 Apr. 2004. Accessed 12 Apr. 2008. http://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1407<span London Gazette Image from: https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/files//2018/06/428px-London-gazette.gif Newspaper in the Coffeehouse image found through Creative Commons, from: http://www.south-central-media.co.uk/tuppenny_press.htm Sutherland, James. The Restoration Newspaper and its Development. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1986. “ The Growth of Journalism .” Bartleby.com 7 May 2008 http://www.bartleby.com/224/0401.html</span > The Tatler image found through Creative Commons, from: http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/exhibitions/18thc/cabinet11/</span >

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The Rise of the Literary Periodical

In the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution, what has been called the emerging ‘public sphere’ saw the rise of printed pamphlets and journals catering to novel aspirations, anxieties and interests of the people…

In the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution , what has been called the emerging ‘public sphere’ saw the rise of printed pamphlets and journals catering to novel aspirations, anxieties and interests of the people.

The late 17th and early 18th century witnessed the transformation of printed journals through the amalgamation of not just news but also socio-political commentaries, opinion essays, letters and sometimes even fiction and poetry – into a new kind of publication called the periodical.

A man named Richard Steele is often credited with having popularised, if not invented the literary form of periodical essays. Yet, scholars have shown that Motteux’s Gentleman’s Journal and Daniel Defoe’s Review were the true predecessors of Steele’s widely read periodicals The Tatler (1709-1711) and The Spectator (1711-1712). The great German philosopher, Jürgen Habermas argues that these periodicals started by Steele and his friend Joseph Addison played an immense role in the public sphere by acting as the linkage between the British coffeehouses , the political domain of rational-critical debate and formation of a ‘public opinion’.

Periodical literature also contributed majorly to the development of modern authorship and acquainted the readers to the authors who lived and interacted among them. The Tatler and The Spectator, like other popular periodicals, used a mode of invasive ‘spectation’ that involved not just the usage of sight but also other bodily senses. Professor Anthony Pollock argues that The Spectator makes a deliberate transition from the conversational surveillance towards visual one. He writes “Addison and Steele’s personae characteristically do not intervene, they withdraw.” While in The Tatler, the reader gets a sense of the author actively desiring to say something, Mr Spectator’s most amusing idiosyncrasy is his taciturnity. Mr. Spectator thus presented a masculine mode of transcendent reporting, writing more than gossip – contributing to the literary posture of spectatorship which greatly appealed to its astoundingly large reader base.

Another development during this period was the increase in wealth and leisure of the English middle classes and the improvement in women’s education that turned several women into readers. Though, undoubtedly the early modern public sphere was dominated by men, a large number of publishers jumped at the opportunity to expand their female readership. Starting with John Dunton’s Athenian Mercury (1691– 97), many periodicals began devoting one or more issues (or sections) to topics that were likely to please and attract the ladies. A short-lived experiment was the renaming of the October issue of the Gentleman’s Journal, as ‘The Lady’s Journal’. Amusingly, the first imitators of The Tatler were ostensibly women who published The Female Tatler three times a week for about a year. Although The Female Tatler claimed to have been penned by “A Society of Ladies”, in reality, the author was a man called Bernard Mandeville. In later decades, when women actually began publishing journals, unlike ‘Men’s Periodicals’, their themes remained mostly domestic and rarely political.

Although, most of these periodicals were read in coffeehouses, many were also delivered at homes and book stores. The authors of these popular periodicals, like Steele and Addison, not just frequented the coffeehouses but even indicated their sources vividly. For instance, in the premier issue of The Tatler, the author mentions “All accounts of gallantry, pleasure, and entertainment shall be under the article of White’s Chocolate-house; Poetry, under that of Will’s Coffee-house; Learning, under the title of Grecian; Foreign and Domestic News you will have from Saint James’s Coffee-house; and what else I have to offer on any other subject shall be dated from my own Apartment.” Interestingly, after being printed in London, these periodicals did not remain restricted to the city but were also disseminated in various provinces like Oxford and Dublin, where they enjoyed large readership.

The advent of the age of periodicals cannot be simply associated publications related to the news revolution of the 17th century. Many of the 17th century newspapers, often disseminated in coffeehouses were seen as a major source of threat by the ruling class. The crown attempted to suppress these ‘dangerous’ publications through the Licensing Act of 1662 which gave the state a monopoly on the printing of news, making The London Gazette the kingdom’s only official newspaper post 1665. Although this was true on paper, in reality several unofficial publications were printed, distributed and widely read. There were instances, such as the Algiers leak case, when sensitive information was leaked by State office workers to coffeehouses which resulted in a breach of national security and put coffeehouses owners and newspaper publishers in an unfavourable position. Through various laws, the Crown made numerous attempts to restrain the spread of seditious and irreligious newspapers but was never totally successful.

The content and literary style of the popular periodicals were very different from the newspapers. As historian Brian Cowan notes, Steele and Addison, like Defoe disapproved of news mongering and never supported irresponsible interference in matters of the State. The new public sphere was therefore not one that obsessed solely over news and gossip. The periodicals were becoming an important medium not for indecent, heated debates but for refined, socio-political and moral discussions – creating stable, civilised and courteous public spaces.

Disha Ray is a student of History at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. She is particularly interested in questions of gender and minority histories.

Published: July 14th, 2021.

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How To Write a Periodical Essay

December 26, 2016

Periodical essay papers are a journey or journal through one's eye or characters develop based on series of events accordingly.

Essay papers based on periodical is affected by century, culture, language and belief of the community, showing the mirror of their age, the reflection of their thinking. How literature acts as a medium in daily’s usage of a population in certain areas affect most on how this periodical journal is produced, how characters are developed, what makes the journal stands out from the others and so on.

How To Write?

Joseph Addison and Steele have applied periodical essay in their papers which are Tatler in 1709-1711 and Spectator in 1711-1712 and again in 1714. This means that custom periodical essay papers have been recognized and used the long time ago to produce series of events through custom essay papers. It is said that custom periodical essay papers existed even before Joseph Addison and Steele start their work, through sketches and letters from various features.

The most successful periodical essays can be a long list. Most influential custom periodical essay papers include Henry Fielding’s Covent Garden Journal in 1752, Samuel Johnson’s Rambler in 1750- 1752, Henry Mackenzie’s Mirror in 1779-1780, Oliver Goldsmith in 1757 to 1772 to name a few.

Cultures and analysis of the ways relate to the associations are reflected through actors characterization and goals for the particular projects. The role of maintaining language practices in the community allows these essayists to work on their periodical essay papers customization. College essay papers also related to social networks in a culture by the time these papers are produced.

That is basically how these popular periodical essays gain attention from worldwide at their century.

Editorial Policies

The impact on periodical essay papers was immediate through the eighteenth century. It is definitely beyond Addison and Steller's expectations as well as publications. These guys re-modeled their content and editorial policies of their periodical essay, Tatler, and Spectator, as well as Guardian into different languages outside England, gained immediate attention from a community outside England.

Oliver Goldsmith from 1757 to 1772 also contributed to numbers of custom periodical essay including The Monthly Review with ran to eight weekly numbers. His best work, The Citizen of the World in 1762 proves that he is attractive, lack of formality and sensitive as the main attraction to his periodical essay.

Periodically essay is still emerging despite the deep roots and far-reaching networks by the eighteenth century. These essay papers belong to definite period due to its tight connection in publishing practices, politics, and law.

Howeve,r the numbers of publication rise and fall considerably even at times of national crisis.

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Information Literacy: 14. Types of Periodicals

• Goals & Objectives
• 00. Virtual Tour Library
• 01. Develop a Topic
• 02. Generate Search Terms
• 03. Evaluate Resources
• 04. Fight Misinformation
• 05. Plagiarism
• 06. Incorporating Sources
• 07. Peer-Review
• 08. What are Databases?
• 09. Artificial Intelligence (AI) (Redirect)
• 10. Library Catalogs
• 11. Interlibrary Loan
• 12. Popular vs. Scholarly
• 13. Primary & Secondary Sources
• 14. Types of Periodicals
• 15. Anatomy of a Scientific Scholarly Article
• 16. Grey Literature
• 17. Internet Search Tips
• 18. Research Consultations
• 19. Following Citations
• 20. Citation Styles (APA, MLA, Chicago...)
• 21. Annotated Bibliographies
• 22. Open Educational Resources
• 23. Data Management
• 24. Google Scholar
• 25. Copyright
• Learning Outcomes
• Reflecting on IL
• Types of Periodicals Chart

Main Types of Periodical

Scholarly and research journals.

Scholarly and research articles often report original research or review the works of others in deep and lengthy analysis of issues related to discipline.  They are peer-reviewed which is also known as "refereed." Scholars are kept up-to-date in their fields of study through scholarly and research journals, and since they are written by and for researchers, they can use very technical terminology related to their respective studies and therefore  can be difficult to understand. 

The sources of information used in scholarly research literature are very important, so footnotes and bibliographies, (also known as  reference lists) will be listed either within the article's text or at the end of the document.  These lists can provide extensive documentation for additional information, which make this type of literature the preferred method of scholarly research communication.  Publishers are often scholarly presses at universities or professional research organizations.  They typically include an abstract that summarizes their work.  The journals include few or no glossy advertisements, and most images are typically in the form of charts, tables, formulas, and images directly related to their specific work.  Scholarly and research literature as a whole is neutral and factual in its findings; scholars are not supposed to be biased in their work.

Examples: American Historical Review; Behavioral Ecology; Cell; Journal of Educational Research; Plasma Physics; Lancet ; and Social Psychology Quarterly.

Popular Magazines

Popular magazines articles are often short articles that provide a general overview of a topic.  The articles are not peer-reviewed, nor do they provide much in-depth information.  They tend to cover current events, hot topics, and interviews. These magazines are typically produced to create a profit and produced by commercial publishers. Because of this, they are geared towards a wide range of readers, and the use of technical terminology is minimal.  They are easy to read and understand, and they are typically entertaining and "flashy."  The writing may be full of opinion; it may present just one side of the story or be heavily biased on a topic.  Popular magazines are used as primary sources of information for analysis of popular culture. 

Journalists and freelance writers are often the authors, and they rarely cite any of their information sources.  Tracking down information regarding popular culture can be challenging.  The articles frequently incorporate many images that are visually attractive. Full color ads and pictures of all sorts are sprinkled throughout these publications. 

Examples: Time; Newsweek; Sports Illustrated; Readers Digest

Professional, Trade and Industry Journals

Professional, trade and industry journals consist of statistical information, forecasts, and current trends.  They often include company, organization, and biographical information, employment and career info, and news and products in a specific field.  They are written for practitioners. 

The authors are usually practitioners in the field, or journalists with subject expertise.  The articles are not typically peer-reviewed .  They use professional terminology, so they may be difficult to understand.  Occasionally citations and brief bibliographies are included for further investigation.  Professional and trade associations are usually the main publishers, but they may also be produced by commercial publishers for profit .  Photographs, charts, tables, glossy advertisements, and all types of illustrations are normally included. 

Examples: RN (Registered Nurse); Science Teacher; Restaurants and Institutions; American Libraries

Journals of Commentary and Opinion

These publications offer commentaries on social and political issues. They provide some in-depth analyses and political viewpoints, and they can act as a voice of activist organizations. Speeches, interviews; and book reviews may be included. Written for a general educated audience they are easy to read. The authors vary extremely, from academics to journalists to representatives of various groups. They occasionally uses citations or provide short bibliographies. Created by commercial publishers or non-profit organizations, they have a wide variety of appearances. Some have no graphics, while others are filled with them.

Examples: Mother Jones; Atlantic; National Review; New Republic

Newspapers are primary sources about events. They provide current information (local, regional, and global), hard news, classified ads, editorials, and speeches. Written for a general educated audience, they are easy to read. The authors are professional journalists, who work for commercial publishers. Rarely do the articles cite any sources. Newspapers include pictures, charts, and advertisements of all sorts.

Examples: New York Times; Washington Post; Christian Science Monitor; Wall Street Journal

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Definition of periodical

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of periodical  (Entry 2 of 2)

• episodical

Examples of periodical in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'periodical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

1798, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing periodical

periodical cicada

Dictionary Entries Near periodical

periodic acid

Cite this Entry

“Periodical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodical. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of periodical.

Kids Definition of periodical  (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on periodical

Nglish: Translation of periodical for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of periodical for Arabic Speakers

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