Historically, when you wanted to conduct research on a certain topic you would head to the library stacks to find Academic or Professional Journals. While some libraries still carry the physical journals, many have opted to subscribe to the online versions in the interest of saving space. You can find these articles in Library Databases.
Other names articles go by:
This can quickly get confusing so here is what you need to know:
1. An academic or scholarly article is a research-based article written by scholars who have advanced degrees in their academic field. You can tell that an article is scholarly by the presence of a thorough list of references/sources and by the presence of the sections: Introduction, Background/Literature Review, Methods, Discussion, and Conclusion.
2. A peer-reviewed article means that not only has a professor or other academic written the article, but they have also gone through the rigorous process of having it reviewed by other professionals in the field for accuracy and content. If the article does not pass the peer-review process, many journals will not publish the article.
3. Library databases function as an online place that you can search for academic/professional works. Aside from academic journal articles, many databases will also provide videos, books, eBooks, and other materials in them. Each database holds a specific set of journals, so if you do not find something in one, you may need to try a different database.
Don't know what to do with your topic? Research Starters such as Encyclopedias and Issues and Controversies help you get the big picture of your topic. From there you are ready to focus what you are researching and find keywords to help your search.
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Features timely, in-depth articles covering complex, hot-button issues in politics, government, business, society, education, and popular culture. Designed to inspire thought-provoking debates, each article presents both sides of an issue clearly and without bias.
This link opens in a new windowExplores opposing sides of the most important issues, helping learners to develop information literacy and critical thinking skills. With over 20,000 pro/con viewpoints, approximately 19,000 reference articles, interactive maps, infographics, and more, students will be prepared to argue any side of the issue.
