In publishing and library and information 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."[1]
This includes the literary serial, where a story is published in several parts, but also all kinds of periodicals such as magazines and journals.
See main article: Periodical literature. Periodicals are publications that are issued on a regular basis. Some of the examples of periodicals are weekly magazines, journals, Trade publications and newspapers.[2] 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."[3] Thus a periodical does not admit irregularly spaced publication times. This includes magazines and journals, but not proceedings, but traditionally excludes newspapers.[4] Thus all periodicals are serials but not all serials are periodicals.[2]
See main article: Serials (publishing).