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PSY 240 - Online - Developmental Psychology: Find Articles

Why Articles?

Articles come from a variety of sources including newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals.

Articles are useful because...

1. They are current

2. They cover very specific aspects of a particular topic

3. Articles from scholarly journals provide current research for very specific topics, and are peer-reviewed

Scholarly vs Non-Scholarly Resources

Your instructor may ask you to use only scholarly resources for your paper.

Scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources include books and articles published in scholarly journals, encyclopedias, and books.  These sources are reviewed by a panel of experts in that particular field, and are often published by a professional association or a university press.  These experts ensure the information published is credible before accepting it for publication.

More information:

Non-Scholarly sources include websites, magazines, newspapers, and books that undergo no expert review prior to publishing.

Check with your instructor if you plan to use non-scholarly sources and use the CRAAP test to evaluate them.

Magazine, Newspaper, and Journal Articles

 

Use the following online databases to find mostly scholarly/peer-reviewed articles.  Each database allows you to refine your search in many ways:  by adding keywords, by date, by type of publication, and many other features.  You can print, save or email articles and also get the APA citation.

Can you spot the NOT-Scholarly Journal?

Some of the hallmarks of a scholarly journal are:

  • Looks boring!
  • No Kardashians on the cover!
  • No sexy people on the cover!
  • No PEOPLE on the cover, even!
  • No articles about sculpting your abs or buttocks!
  • No or few colorful ads!
  • Will never see for sale at the grocery store!
  • Really expensive!
  • Articles are often long! 
  • Articles have long titles with big words!
  • Articles have multiple authors!
  • Articles contain statistical tables!
  • They're meant to inform & educate, not sell!
  • All of this means QUALITY you can trust!
  • I'm tired of shouting!

 

Journals - Scholarly, Popular or Trade?

Different types of publications have different purposes and different audiences. When we talk about journals, we can usually divide these publications into three broad categories: scholarly, popular, and trade publications.
 

 

  SCHOLARLY JOURNALS POPULAR JOURNALS TRADE JOURNALS
Purpose Informs and reports on original research done by scholars and experts in the field. Entertains and informs a general audience without providing in-depth analysis. Reports on industry trends and new products or techniques useful to people in a trade or business.
Authors Articles are written by subject specialists and experts in the field. Articles are written by journalists, freelance writers, or an editorial staff. Articles are written by specialists in a certain field or industry.
Audience Intended for a limited audience - researchers, scholars, and experts. Intended for a broad segment of the population, appealing to non-specialists. Intended for practitioners in a particular profession, business, or industry.