Is It a Scholarly Journal or Isn't It?

Some of the following characteristics are found in most scholarly journals.

Where Did You Find It?

Did you find a citation for it in a subject oriented index? (e.g. Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, Social Science Abstracts, Humanities Index, PsycInfo, etc.)

How Are the Articles Chosen for Publication?

Is the journal published or sponsored by a professional society or association?

Is there a list of reviewers (editorial board) inside the front cover of the journal or on the first few pages? This type of journal is known as a "juried" or "refereed" journal. Although it can be difficult within an online, full-text journal to find a list of reviewers (editorial board), a number of databases permit you to restrict or limit your subject search to scholarly, juried, refereed, or "peer-reviewed" journals.

What Are the General Characteristics of a Scholarly Journal Article?

Is the article organized into at least two of the following sections:

  a) Introduction or Literature Review
  b) Theory or Background
  c) Subjects
  d) Methods
  e) Results
  f) Discussion

Does the article have a bibliography or list of references?

Does the title of the article reflect its content?

Is there an abstract at the beginning of the article?

Are the author's credentials listed?

Is the article based on either original research or authorities in the field as opposed to personal opinion?

Are there supporting diagrams or illustrations with the article?    

Back to Top

 
» Advanced Search