New Publications
The aforementioned publications are all printed materials. With the invention and application of the phonograph, microfilm, recording, video recording, and computers, new types of non-printed publications emerged, namely records, microfilm, audio tapes, video tapes, and optical discs, collectively referred to as microforms, audiovisual materials, and electronic publications. These are mainly divided into six categories: newspapers, periodicals, books, audiovisual products, electronic publications, and internet publications. Following the invention of microfilm, recording, and video recording technologies in the early and mid-20th century, and with the advent of computers as a medium for disseminating various types of information, the production of microfilm (rolls), audio tapes, video tapes, and floppy disks-products reproduced through different technological means and possessing a certain function of dissemination, thus becoming carriers of intellectual products-is also referred to as publishing. These products are also considered publications, collectively known as audiovisual reading materials, or separately as microforms, audiovisual materials, and electronic publications. With the advancement of modern technology, the physical form of publications and the content they carry will undergo many new developments.
Narrowly Defined Publications
Publications in a narrow sense only include books and magazines, excluding newspapers, as newspapers belong to the field of journalism. Whether audiovisual materials are appropriate as publications is also a matter of debate. These issues will gradually become clearer in practice.
Traditional Publications
Traditional publications, including newspapers, magazines, and books, are all printed materials. Since the invention of the phonograph in the late 19th century, the function and production methods of records have been similar to or close to those of books. Both involve transforming intellectual products into material form, creating original copies, and then reproducing them for distribution within a certain scope. Therefore, the production of records is also called publishing. Records have thus become a type of publication.
Publications in a broad sense, according to UNESCO, include two main categories: regular publications and irregular publications. Regular publications are further divided into newspapers and magazines (also known as periodicals).
Regular publications: These are divided into newspapers and magazines. Newspapers are categorized by publication time as daily or non-daily. Daily newspapers are published four or more times per week, while non-daily newspapers are published less than four times per week. Newspapers can be further divided into general newspapers with broad content for a wide audience and specialized newspapers with content specifically for a particular audience. Magazines generally include weekly, ten-day, semi-monthly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, and annual publications. Annual publications are generally called yearbooks. Some magazines are also published irregularly.
Irregular publications: These mainly consist of books (including books, textbooks, and pictures). Books have covers and are bound. Pictures are neither covered nor bound. Irregular publications mainly refer to books. While "books" is generally synonymous with "books," in statistical work, "books" is sometimes used as a general term encompassing books, textbooks, and pictures. Books are generally published irregularly, but some books have pre-determined approximate publication dates and are published consecutively, known as series or collections. Books are also divided into two categories based on page count: those with more than 48 pages of text (excluding the cover) are called books; those with only 48 or fewer pages are called pamphlets. This distinction is cumbersome and not adopted by many countries. Furthermore, books and pamphlets should not be considered two incompatible concepts. In fact, pamphlets are a type of book. Regardless of page count, anything with a cover and bound into a book is a book. Wall charts, single maps, and single pictures (such as propaganda posters and New Year's pictures) without covers and not bound into a book are not considered books.
