How Do I Know if My Source is in Print?

Step 1: Locate the Publication Information

Printed sources will have certain types of publication information that electronic sources may not. Look for the following to help determine if your source has a print equivalent:

1. Source
2. Volume and/or issue number
3. Page numbers
4. Publication date
5. Author information

Library Databases

Using databases such as Academic Search Ultimate or Access World News will ensure that any source you find is published, meaning it has a print equivalent.

UlrichsWeb

Access information about newspapers, magazines, and journals published throughout the world, covering all subjects.

1. Enter your journal or newspaper title (not the article title) in the search box.
2. Look to see if your source lists a publisher. This can be either a database or the name of the company.
3. Verify that the status is “active.” If yours does not have an active status, the newspaper or journal may no longer be publishing.
4. Check the serial type. You’ll want something that is a magazine, newspaper, or journal.

Note: Ulrich’s will tell you if a source is in print, but not if your specific article is in print. To verify this, search library databases for the specific article. You can start with the databases mentioned above.

University of Illinois Library Newspaper Database

Often you will find newspaper articles on the internet through credible sources such as the New York Times. Just because you find it on a newspaper’s website does not mean that every article has a print version. Use this database for electronic access to print newspapers from the United States, ranging from local to national.

1. Enter your newspaper title (not the article title) in the search box.
2. You can specify the year to make sure you are finding recent issues.
3. You will see the name of the newspaper, available formats, place of publication, and available dates.
4. Click on the format link next to date range that best fits your needs. “Online” means U of I students have on- and off-campus access.
5. Choose a database. Make sure to check the date range.
6. Once in the database, you can search for your specific article.

Note: Some newspapers and magazines delay online access for anywhere between one day and several weeks. If you’re looking for something very recent, you may need to find the print copies which are available at some libraries on campus.

What is the Information Cycle? (Accessible View)

The Information Cycle is the progression of media coverage of a particular newsworthy event. Understanding the information cycle will help you better know what information is available on your topic and better evaluate information sources covering that topic. 

After an event, information about that event becomes available in a pattern similar to this: 

THE DAY OF: Television, Social Media, and the Web (ex: CNN, Twitter, blogs)

THE WEEK OF: Newspapers (ex. New York Times, Chicago Tribune)

THE WEEK AFTER: Magazines (ex. Time, National Geographic)

MONTHS AFTER: Academic/Scholarly Journals (ex. The American Political Science Review, Journal of American Medical Association)

A YEAR AFTER & LATER: Books, Government Publications, and Reference Collections (Popular Titles, encyclopedias, government reports)