# Serial (publishing)
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{{Short description|Literary or other works with same title issued in successive parts}}
{{Redirect|Serial publication|written works published in installments|Serial (literature)}}
In [publishing](/source/publishing) and [library and information science](/source/library_science), the term '''serial''' is applied to materials "in any medium issued under the same title in a succession of discrete parts, usually numbered (or dated) and appearing at regular or irregular intervals with no predetermined conclusion."[{{cite web |url=http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_S.aspx#serial |title=Serial |work=Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science |publisher=Abc-Clio |access-date=2012-08-06 |archive-date=2012-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815024628/http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_s.aspx#serial |url-status=deviated }}]
This includes the [literary serial](/source/serial_(literature)), where a story is published in several parts, but also all kinds of [periodicals](/source/Periodical_literature) such as magazines and journals.
== Periodicals ==
{{main|Periodical literature}}
Periodicals are publications that are issued on a regular basis. Some of the examples of periodicals are weekly [magazines](/source/magazines), [journals](/source/Academic_journal), Trade publications and [newspapers](/source/newspapers).[{{cite web|url=https://libraries.uark.edu/multimedia/periodicalsfaq.asp |website=University of Arkansas Libraries |title=Periodicals - Frequently Asked Questions|access-date=7 June 2021|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607043341/https://libraries.uark.edu/multimedia/periodicalsfaq.asp|url-status=live}}]
Each type of periodicals has its own characteristics and purpose.
In contrast to serials in general, a periodical has been defined as "A serial publication with its own distinctive title, containing a mix of articles ... by more than one contributor, issued ... at regular stated intervals of less than a year, without prior decision as to when the final issue will appear."[{{cite web |url=http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_P.aspx#periodical |title=Periodical |work=Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science |publisher=Abc-Clio |access-date=2012-08-06 |archive-date=2012-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922103405/http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_p.aspx#periodical |url-status=deviated }}]
Thus a periodical does not admit irregularly spaced publication times. This includes [magazines](/source/magazines) and [journals](/source/academic_journals), but not [proceedings](/source/proceedings), but traditionally excludes [newspapers](/source/newspapers).[{{cite web |url=http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_N.aspx#newspaper |title=Newspaper |work=Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science |publisher=Abc-Clio |access-date=2015-07-08 |archive-date=2017-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222054553/http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_n.aspx#newspaper |url-status=deviated }}]
Thus all periodicals are serials but not all serials are periodicals.