Journal and magazine articles are a excellent way to access information which may be more current than that found in books. Don't discard information just because it comes from a popular publication. All types of publications can contain valuable information, including popular magazines, newspapers and trade magazines. There are, however, important differences between magazines and journals that may affect which of these you decide to use. See:
What's the Difference Between Scholarly Journals and Popular Magazines?
What Is a Scholarly Article? (and Why Is It Important?) - tutorial video
WSA Databases with articles from scholarly journals
WorldCat
Research databases available at local public libraries
Google Scholar
It is important to know when you are using a scholarly journal and when you are not. Scholarly journals are written by experts in academic or professional fields. They are excellent sources for finding out what has been studied or researched on a topic, they will also have a bibliography which will point to other relevant sources of information.
Your Senior Project should contain references to relevant articles from scholarly journals.
The databases below all have full-text articles from academic (scholarly) journals. Most (but not all) scholarly publications are peer reviewed. A peer reviewed publication in one in which articles go through an official editorial process that involves review and approval by the author's peers (people who are experts in the same subject area). Some trade publications are also peer reviewed.
When searching ProQuest, be sure to click the 'Peer Reviewed' box if you only want this type of article in your results.
JournalA journal contains scholarly articles with abstracts and references (e.g., footnotes, parenthetical references, citations). Submissions are peer reviewed (except for editorials or columns) which means that the scholar's manuscript is evaluated prior to being accepted for publication by experts or researchers in the same field (academic peers) to decide if the work meets professional standards. The author's tone is serious and s/he uses words and ideas that are understood by experts but might be harder for a general reader to follow. The print layout may include graphs and charts, but few photos, pictures and ads. For example, see Cell Research. In the growing number of peer reviewed electronic journals, color and design elements are more prominent. For example, see BMC Biology. Often published by an academic or professional organization, a journal is designed to advance knowledge or publish research findings in a scholarly discipline. |
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MagazineA magazine appeals to a general audience, although their depth ranges from substantive to simple. In all good writing, concepts are explained and information is attributed, but the author does not provide the rigorous proof or methodology evident in scholarly work. In magazines designed for a more educated audience, a short list of books for further reading may follow an article, but footnotes are rare. Eye-catching pictures, colorful design elements and fonts, and many ads are evident. For example, see Psychology Today or The New Yorker. The goal of a magazine is to attract, inform and entertain general readers. |
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NoodleTools Support Center. "Is My Source a Magazine or a Journal?", NoodleTools Knowledge Base. NoodleTools Inc., |
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What is a Scholarly Article
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