Why do professors want you to use Scholarly Journal Articles?
Professors often require that you support your research using scholarly
journal articles and not just any papers
you find on the web or in a library database.
Why?
In all disciplines, the humanities, the social sciences, as well as
the sciences, knowledge is built by responding to the ideas and discoveries
of those who came before us. Scholarly journal articles are unique in
that they REQUIRE authors to document and make verifiable the sources
of the facts, ideas, and methods they used to arrive at their insights
and conclusions. Scholarly articles also strive to identify and discuss
the merits of alternative explanations and viewpoints for the positions
they espouse. This documentation of sources and the explicit elaboration
of alternative positions makes it easier to assess the truth, as well
as the strengths and weaknesses, of the claims made in a paper. This
is the case for those with knowledge of a subject (for example,
your professor), as well as for those just learning the language, methodologies,
and techniques of a subject (for example, you).
As you know, anyone can say just about anything in articles posted on
the web. While you might agree with the conclusions of a paper found
on the web, you are often not given the chain of evidence you need to
assess the truth of those conclusions. Likewise, articles published
in popular magazines, while they provide information and opinions, are
not required to document evidence that either supports their conclusions,
or, and just as important, does not support their conclusions. Scholarly
journal articles, unlike web-based or popular magazine articles, are
designed and structured to provide the elements necessary to most thoroughly
evaluate the validity and truth of an author's position.
How do you identify Scholarly Journals, Professional/Trade Publications,
and Popular Magazines?
| |
Scholarly Journals |
Professional/Trade Publications |
Popular/General Interest Magazines |
| Purpose |
Report original research or theories to advance knowledge |
Provide practical information for members of a profession, industry,
or organization: news, trends, products, research summaries |
Provide information, news, opinions, entertainment to the general public |
| Writing Style |
Uses specialized vocabulary or jargon.
Requires prior training or subject expertise to understand. |
Uses specialized vocabulary or jargon.
Requires prior training or subject expertise to understand. |
Uses vocabulary understood by the general public, including
those with an upper elementary education |
| References / Bibliography |
Documentation of sources, quotes, facts, and ideas is required. Must
be cited in footnotes or a bibliography. |
Documentation of sources not required, though there are sometimes brief
bibliographies of further readings |
Documentation of sources is not required and is rare |
| Advertisements |
Few, if any, advertisements |
Moderate number of advertisements targeted to the interests of the members
of a profession, industry, or organization |
Large number of advertisements for a wide variety of products that appeal
to the diverse needs of the general population |
| Authors |
Scholars or resarchers. Academic credentials, degrees, and/or affiliation
are almost always provided. |
Journalists or members of the profession, industry, or organization |
Journalists |
What are Peer Reviewed/Refereed Scholarly Journals?
Articles that appear in popular magazines, trade publications, and some scholarly
journals are selected for publication by professional editors. Academic careers
are often advanced by an author's publication record. An author who is the
friend of a journal editor might be able to get articles published that
do not contribute to the knowledge base of a discipline or are
unsound. Scholarly journals that are called 'peer reviewed' or 'refereed' avoid
this problem by sending the papers submitted to them for publication out to
several subject experts, who then review them to determine whether they warrent
publication. (Reviewers do not necessarily reject papers outright. Suggestions
for improvment are made by the reviewers, authors revise their work accordingly,
resubmit the revised papers to the journal, and then have their papers accepted
for publication.) This review process is often done 'blind', meaning the reviewers
do not know the names or academic affiliations of the authors, and the authors
do not know who is reviewing their work.
How do You Identify Peer Reviewed/Refereed Scholarly Journals?
- Some databases offer the option of limiting search results to peer reviewed/refereed
journals, e.g., ABI/Inform, PsycINFO, Academic
OneFile & General OneFile, Gale
PowerSearch, CINAHL.
While ERIC offers a check-box to limit to peer reviewed materials, this option
only started being offered in 2005 for journal articles and U.S. Department
of Education publications.
- Ulrich's
Periodicals Directory indicates whether journal titles are refereed
and lets you limit searches for journal titles to only those that are refereed.
- Examine the Instructions to Authors page that most journals provide to
assess if the submission process involves reviewers or referees.
- Examine the title page of an article to see if it provides the date when
the article was revised or accepted for publication.
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