Help: Find Articles
"Scholarly" versus "Popular" materials
Getting Started
- Determine the words you will use to describe your topic.
- Decide on the type of article you need to find.
- Scholary articles-- written by specialists, better for most college-level papers, ie. Journal of Abnormal Psychology
- General articles-- written by variety of authors, for the general reading public, ie. Time,Newsweek
- Identify the index or database(s) relevant to your topic and research needs.
- Use the Database Listing by Title page to read descriptions of each database available.
Click the
image next to the title of the database for more information. - Two useful databases that include articles about many different topics and also contain information from scholarly journals are:
- Examples of other more subject-specific databases include: PsycInfo, MLA (English and Literature research), CINAHL (nursing)
- Use the Database Listing by Title page to read descriptions of each database available.
Click the
- Locate the articles in the library collections.
- Search the Databases to find citations to journals, some of which are available full-text. These are NOT "Internet resources." They are just another way of looking at the journal using a web browser.
- For articles not available in Full Text, click the "Search for Full Text" button. From this screen, a program will search for your article in our databases. If it cannot be found, you will be presented with the option to request the item via Interlibrary Loan.
- If you have questions regarding a specific title, use our Journals & Newspapers Listing to determine if the item is available in full-text.
"Scholarly" versus "Popular" Materials
Publications exist in a wide variety.
Consider: what type of documents do you need based on your information needs?
What types of resources do your professors expect you to cite in your research?
| Scholarly | Criteria | Popular |
|---|---|---|
 
|
Type of source |   |
Lengthy, in depth. Often includes tables, graphs, statistics. Serious appearance, not heavily graphic. Generally includes abstract and citation list. Advertisements aimed at the scholarly audience it serves. Purpose of the articles is usually to present original research or experiments. |
Length and appearance of articles | Shorter, overview-type articles. Popular style. Glossy format. Attractive covers. Lots of photographs. Does not usually include abstract or citation list. Includes many advertisements aimed at a general audience. Purpose of the articles is to entertain the reader. |
Scholars, experts. Credentials always included. Peer reviewed, refereed or juried: critically evaluated by a knowledge panel of experts. Usually published by a scholarly or university press. |
Authorship/Editorial | Reporters, staff writers. Credentials not usually included. Reviewed by the editorial staff, not subject experts. Articles are sometimes unsigned. Usually published by a commercial publisher. |
| Includes words like: review, journal, research, quarterly, studies, transactions, proceedings, archives. | Title | Often included the word magazine |
| Technical, likely to include the jargon of the field. Assumes some background knowledge from the reader. | Language | Non-technical, accessible by broad audience |
| Traditional structure usually requires: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, references | Article structure | No specific structure. |
| Published bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. | Frequency | Published daily, weekly or monthly. |
Find Peer-Reviewed Articles
1. What is a peer reviewed article?
- A peer-reviewed article is one that has been reviewed by a body of “peers:” experts in the same field as the writer.
- Peer-reviewed articles are sometimes called “refereed” and are published in scholarly or academic journals. (Look at this web page for ways to identify whether a publication is a scholarly journal or popular magazine.)
2. How do I determine if an online article is peer-reviewed?
- Look for some or most of these characteristics to determine if an online article is scholarly:
- Author's Credentials -- Often listed at end of article, tell colleges attended, degrees earned, university affiliations, etc.
- Parenthetical references -- i.e. (Jones, 1993), and/or footnotes
- Bibliography or Works Cited at the end of article
- Basic sections of a research paper (abstract, method, discussion, etc.)
- Tables, charts, or graphs -- Usually show the results of a study or the methods used to calculate results.
- Length -- While longer does not necessarily imply scholarly or "better," short one or two page articles are not often scholarly.
- Many databases include options to limit your search to Peer-reviewed, scholarly or academic journals. Academic Search Premier is one of the best places to start if you are not sure what database to use. It covers all academic areas and has a box you can check to limit to peer-reviewed articles. (Look under “limit your results” on the basic search screen.)
