Authoritative, credible sources written by and for experts in an academic subject or discipline. These sources may report findings, experiments, and theories produced by experts and researchers to other scholars and the rest of the world.
Who Writes Them?
TIP: Author credentials are usually stated in the article
- Professors
- Researchers
- Experts
- Professionals
|
What's In Them?
TIP: Use the abstract to figure out the main idea
- Lots of text with little images (Can be 2-50 pages long)
- Usually includes an abstract, introduction, methods, conclusion and a reference list or citations
- May feature charts, graphs, and images but no glossy photos
|
What Are Their Advantages?
TIP: Browse the volume or month of a journal article to see if there are related articles of interest
- Usually evaluated by other experts or scholars before publication (peer review process)
- Footnotes, bibliographies, and citations support research and point to other scholars' works on similar topics
- Authors describe methods and data to support research
|
What Are Their Disadvantages?
TIP: Use the author's keywords to find other articles in the same field
- May use jargon or specialized terms or keywords that are hard to understand
- Usually very expensive to buy
- May be difficult to find specific issues or articles
- May not be useful for current events due to the time peer review takes
|
