Finding Scholarly Journals

Students are often asked to find information in scholarly journals instead of in popular or general interest magazines when researching. Consider these distinguishing features:

SCHOLARLY JOURNALS

contain articles written by experts in a given field.
expect readers to have an understanding of a field's terminology, history, and current concerns.
include extensive documentation to previously published research (parenthetical documentation or footnotes, a bibliography of works cited, etc.).
place emphasis on content instead of on appearance.
are published by professional organizations, such as the American Medical Association, Modern Language Association, or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and often have words like journal, review, or quarterly in their titles.

Examples of Scholarly Journals:

New England Journal of Medicine

Educational Administration Quarterly

Diacritics: A Review of Contemporary Criticism

MAGAZINES

contain articles written by a staff member or freelance writer.
are aimed at a general audience instead of at experts.
include little or no documentation.
have a glossy, slick appearance and contain photographs as well as extensive advertisements.
are published for entertainment reasons or to advocate a point of view.

EXAMPLES OF MAGAZINES

Time

Newsweek

National Geographic

Organic Gardening

NOTE: You can find more information about a periodical title by consulting either Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory or Katz's Magazines for Libraries. If you need further assistance, please consult a reference librarian.

E-mail your comments and suggestions to the YSU Grant Team (cardcat@bgnet.bgsu.edu).