Researchers may choose or be required to limit their periodical sources to scholarly journals. But it is not always easy to identify a periodical as scholarly. The following general guidelines should address many of these concerns. However, students are advised to ask their professors about considerations specific to a particular discipline.
Scholarly journals differ from popular magazines in a variety of ways. Here are some of the distinguishing characteristics:
Scholarly Journals | Popular Magazines |
Contain more specialized subject matter | Contain more general subject matter |
Articles include footnotes or endnotes and a list of references or works cited. | Rarely include bibliographies or notes. |
Articles report on research | Articles may be oriented toward general information or entertainment |
Articles almost always will be "refereed" (reviewed by a group of scholars in the field prior to publication); the term "peer review" is also used. | No refereeing process |
Authors always identified; usually subject experts | Authors may not be identified; generally reporters/journalists |
Articles often use terminology specific to a particular discipline | Articles use language suitable to a more general audience, of varying educational levels |
Graphics generally used for purposes of illustration or to convey data | Graphics and photos are common, used for impact and appeal as well as illustration |
Little or no advertising in most disciplines | Advertising pervasive |
These guidelines are a starting point for those browsing articles. Some of our database services, such as SUMMON, Academic Search Premier and Proquest, allow you to limit your search to Academic/Scholarly journals (click the tab/link for Academic/Scholarly Journals and/or choose the document type Scholarly Journals). Many of the subject indexes/databases that the library subscribes to cover primarily scholarly journals.
Looking at the Guidelines for Authors in the journal issues (or on the journal's website) is often a good way to determine whether a publication is scholarly, and further whether it is refereed/peer reviewed. However, if you are not sure, you can consult the Library's reference collection.
Students may want to confer with their professors about use of a particular source for a given assignment, and the reference staff is always glad to assist with questions about determining scholarly journal status.