Education: Help and How to's

Quick Steps to Locate Journal Articles on a subject

• Use a database (electronic index)
• Start with a broad subject
• Use Boolean Operators (And, Or , Not) to narrow the search
• If you find the perfect article, locate the subject headings/descriptors then search by them, or use the find more like this feature
• Remember to refine by dates and/or peer review

Scholarly Journals:

• Written by and for faculty, researchers and/or scholars
• Present original research studies and reviews of relevant books in the industry/field
• Reviewed by other experts or peers (i.e. "peer reviewed") before publication
• Use technical and/or scholarly language associated with the subject
• Use citations (footnotes, endnotes, or bibliography/references)
• Share a similar format including: abstract, literature review, methodology, results and conclusion.  May also have tables, graphs or illustrations to support arguments made
• Examples: American Journal of Nursing, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, etc.

Technical/Trade Journals:

• Written by professionals and/or experts in the field
• Present practical information for professionals in the field, including news, trends, job opportunities, and other updates 
• Articles are generally brief and the language is straightforward; may contain professional jargon
• May not have a specific format
• Articles are sometimes unsigned or will display the author's credentials
• Reviewed by general editors of the journal
• Advertising is used to appeal to those in the field
• Examples: Adweek, The Lawyer, Nursing Times, etc.

Popular Magazines:

• Written for the general public with easy to understand language and subject appeal
• Glossy cover and photographs
• Many advertisements in the publication
• Articles are edited by magazine editors 
• May not have a discernable format
• Authors are usually professional journalists, but may not have any experience/knowledge in the field about which they are writing 
• May not have citations or may provide informal citations (even when there are tables, graphs and/or illustrations)
• Examples:  TIME, Rollingstone, Newsweek, Psychology Today, People, etc.
• YOU CAN STILL USE POPULAR PERIODICALS FOR YOUR RESEARCH(unless stated by your instructor and these do NOT count as scholarly peer-reviewed articles)! Just make sure to support your use of these articles with scholarly articles, which will have original research and in-depth citations to ensure your information is relevant, accurate and up-to-date  

Hunter Library has a great comparison of these types of articlesavailable for more information: http://researchguides.wcu.edu/scholarly

OR watch the following quick, fun video from Kimbel Library about popular vs. scholarly sources (there are sock puppets involved!): http://vimeo.com/13186317

Quick Steps to Locate Journal Articles on a subject

• Use a database (electronic index)
• Start with a broad subject
• Use Boolean Operators (And, Or , Not) to narrow the search
• If you find the perfect article, locate the subject headings/descriptors then search by them, or use the find more like this feature
• Remember to refine by dates and/or peer review