Module 1: Defining the Information Need

Periodicals: Academic/Scholarly Journals

Scholarly journals are written for researchers and experts in specific fields. Instructors may require you to use only scholarly articles in your research. Characteristics:

• Report original research
• Articles include bibliographies / works cited
• Articles use footnotes / endnotes / internal citations
• Have pictures that support the content (graphs, charts, etc.)
• Use special vocabulary and concepts related to the field
• Special vocabulary and concepts sometimes make the articles difficult to read and understand
• Important for the physical sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etc.)
• Provide statistical research for the social sciences (Sociology, Political Science, Anthropology, etc.)
• Are funded through subscriptions, not through advertisements

Some journals use a peer review editorial process, which is intended to ensure the articles are of high quality and present accurate and sound research:

• Experts read submitted articles
• Research is evaluated
• Author may be asked to make revisions/corrections
• Acceptable articles are then published

How can I find articles from scholarly journals?

• Use a general online database, like Academic Search Complete
• Use a subject specific database, like Education Research Complete, that covers scholarly journals in a specific field