how do i know it's a scholarly journal?
Some of the following characteristics are found in most scholarly journals. As you examine the publication, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the word "journal" or "review" in the title of the periodical?
- Is the publication published or sponsored by a professional scholarly society or association? (Hint: Examine the inside cover or first few pages of the journal.
- How frequently is the publication published? (journals tend to be published monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually rather than weekly)
- Is there a list of reviewers (editorial board) on the inside cover or title page?
- Are individual articles organized into at least two of the following sections?
Introduction or Literature Review
Theory or Background
Subjects
Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
- Does the article have a bibliography or list of references to identify what sources were used to write the article?
- Does the title of the article reflect its content (is it fairly detailed?)?
- Is there an abstract at the beginning of the article?
- Who wrote the article? Are the author's credentials listed? (Hint: Often this information on the first or last page of the article. If not, check at the beginning or the end of the publication for a list of all the authors and their credentials). Journal articles are usually written by college and university professors or scholars from research institutes or associations.
- 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.
- How long is the article? (journal articles tend to be longer than a popular magazine article, sometimes as long as 20-30 pages!)
If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, then it probably is a scholarly journal!
