GILFind: the library catalog.
GSU Library for articles and more.
Journals @ GSU -- Just click the Journals tab.
Back to Library Content.
Back to Handouts for You: handouts for you!
Both general magazines/newspapers and scholarly journals contribute valuable information to papers and projects. Knowing the differences between different types of sources helps you decide which ones work best for your needs.
| What makes these sources credible? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General magazines/newspapers often have reputations to defend. Editors and fact checkers make sure articles are truthful and accurate. | Scholarly journals often rely on peer review, editing by fellow experts, to check the quality of research articles. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Who writes the articles? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General magazine/newspaper authors can include famous journalists, politicians, and well known writers. They can also be anonymous members of the staff. | Scholarly journal authors are scientists, researchers, and expert literature critics. Authors usually list their employers along with their names. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What kind of material can I find in each source? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General magazines/newspapers are the source for current events. Newspapers often offer local coverage available nowhere else. If you want today’s news, the BEST source is the web site of a daily newspaper or news service. | Scholarly journals often publish information that is several months old, but they are the source for literary criticism and research studies. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Are magazines, newspapers, and journals PRIMARY SOURCES? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General magazines/newspapers publish interviews, letters, and columns by famous writers, as well as short stories, and poetry. These are all PRIMARY SOURCES. | Scholarly journals in the sciences and some social sciences feature research articles. These articles are PRIMARY SOURCES. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Are magazines, newspapers, and journals SECONDARY SOURCES? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General magazine/ newspaper articles, except for letters and interviews, are SECONDARY SOURCES. | Scholarly journal articles in the humanities and history are SECONDARY SOURCES. THIS INCLUDES LITERARY CRITICISM. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Do general magazines/newspapers and scholarly journals look different? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General magazines/newspapers often have a glossy feel. They have consumer advertising along with bright, shiny, color illustrations and cartoons. | Scholarly journals have either no advertising or advertising targeted at a professional audience. Illustrations are graphs, charts, and scientific photographs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Do magazines, newspapers and journals suggest where I can learn more about a topic? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General magazines/newspapers almost never have works cited lists. Magazine and newspaper websites sometimes offer links to additional material. | Scholarly journal articles nearly always end with a works cited list, which leads to additional information. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How can I find general magazines/newspapers or scholarly journals? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| You can find general magazines/newspapers through databases or with the library's big search box Restrict to Academic Journals or Magazines. News & Newspapers is the library's largest source for current newspaper articles. | You can find scholarly journals through specialized databases on the library web page such as MLA Bibliography. Restrict Academic Search Complete to Academic Journals. Literature Resource Center’s Literary Criticism tab is also a great place to find scholarly journal articles that are LITERARY CRITICISM. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Would you like to know more about an unfamiliar journal?
Search for your journal in JournalSeek to
get a brief description of its purpose and publisher. Sci Imago also gives information about a scholarly journal's citation impact and ranking.
What is a peer reviewed journal?
A team of experts in a particular subject,
read, prescreen, and recommend articles for publication
in a peer reviewed or refereed journal. The peer review process
is a means of quality control for scholarly papers. Without
review by qualified, outside experts,
frauds like the
Sokal Affair can occur.
How do you make sure a particular journal is peer reviewed?
Use JournalSeek or Sci Imago to learn more about the journal.
You can also Google your journal online, and look at its
Instructions for Authors.
