These databases are good starting points for your research. They are high quality resources that are also user-friendly. If you are unfamiliar with using research databases, these are especially good, before you use more subject-specific databases.
An unprecedented collection of peer-reviewed, full-text journals for academic research.
Research Library is a truly multidisciplinary resource featuring a diversified mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and other timely sources across the top 150 subject area
Scholarly research articles from one of the most famous science journals in the world.
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 practititioners in a particular profession, business, or industry. |
Does your instructor require you to use scholarly, or peer-reviewed articles? Watch the video below from Vanderbuilt University to find out what peer-reviewed articles are.
Your instructor may ask you to use only scholarly resources for your paper. What's the difference between a scholarly or non-scholarly resource?
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.
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 any non-scholarly websites and use the CRAAP test to evaluate them.