aikakaista

Aikakaista is a Finnish term that denotes a serial publication released at regular intervals. It is used to refer to periodical works—such as magazines and journals—whose issues appear on a fixed schedule, for example weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.

The term covers a broad range of serials, including consumer magazines, trade journals, and academic periodicals. It is generally broader than aikakauslehti, which refers to a specific kind of magazine published on a regular basis; aikakaista as a category encompasses any ongoing serial publication, not only consumer-oriented titles.

In common usage, aikakaista is typically distinguished from newspapers. Newspapers, or sanomalehdet, are daily or nearly daily publications and are not usually classified primarily as aikakaista, though boundaries can blur in casual speech.

In libraries, publishing, and bibliographic work, aikakaista is a standard designation for serial publications with continuing publication runs. Catalog records for aikakaistat track volumes, issues, and publication dates. The concept is a fundamental part of organizing periodical literature in Finnish libraries and professional publishing discourse.