Scholarly Journals
Journals are often referred to as scholarly, academic, or peer-reviewed. These are somewhat interchangeable terms. While not every journal is peer-reviewed, a quick look at the journal home page will tell you the editorial policies.
Examples of Journals:
- American Political Science Review
- Journal of the American Medical Association
- Psychological Review
Audience: |
Scholars, specialists, and students |
|---|---|
Coverage: |
Research results, frequently theoretical in nature |
Written By: |
Specialists in the field; usually scholars with PhDs |
Timeliness: |
Current coverage (6 months - 3 years ) |
Length: |
>2,500 - 10,000 words |
Content: |
Detailed examination; statistical analysis; graphics; bibliography usually included |
Bias: |
Supposed to present an objective/neutral viewpoint; the writing may be difficult to understand because of technical language or academic jargon; journals are often published by professional associations. |
To Locate Articles in Journals:
Use online article databases like Academic Search Ultimate, or Gale Onesearch. You can also find databases specific to a subject area like "America, History and Life," a database for American History research.
- Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new windowFull-text article database with broad subject coverage | Area Studies | Ethnic & Multicultural Studies | General Sciences | Social Sciences | Law | Politics & Government | Women`s Studies | Popular Culture | Search Multiple Databases
- Gale Academic OneFile This link opens in a new window
Gale Academic OneFile provides millions of articles from over 17,000 scholarly journals and other authoritative sources and covers everything from art and literature to economics and the sciences. Also included are thousands of podcasts and videos. - America: History and Life This link opens in a new windowTopics: United States History | Pre-Colonial Era to Present | Canadian History
It is important to note that not all journals indexed in the above sources are available at Booth Library. Start early so you can obtain needed articles through ILL (Interlibrary Loan), which may take from a day to a few days to obtain.
