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In this introductory course, your research requires the
use of professional literature.
Scholarly v. Popular Articles
How do you know if an article is scholarly or popular?
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Scholarly Journals |
Popular Magazine |
What if it’s the electronic version? |
Overall appearance |
Sober and serious. Few illustrations. Many charts, graphs and equations. |
Flashy and glossy. Many illustrations. Fewer charts and graphs. No equations. |
You won’t see the cover and may not see images and/or charts. |
Advertising |
Few, if any, ads. Most ads will be for books, other journals, and academic conferences. |
Many slick ads for consumer products. |
Ads typically won’t be available. |
Audience |
Other scholars and students. Uses scholarly terminology and jargon. |
General public. Language is accessible to most readers. |
Apparent in e-version. |
Authors |
Experts in the field. Authors’ affiliations, and contact information are listed |
Reporters and freelance writers. Names and affiliations may not be listed. |
If available, affiliations are typically listed in the e-version. |
Article length |
Generally longer. |
Generally shorter. |
Apparent in e-version. |
Article structure |
Often very structured with abstracts, methodology and conclusions. |
Comparatively unstructured. |
Apparent in e-version. |
References |
Includes extensive footnotes and/or bibliography. |
Rarely includes footnotes or bibliography. |
Apparent in e-version. |
Article acceptance and editing |
Uses a “peer review” or “referee” process, in which articles are reviewed by other experts in the field. (Check for an “Instructions for Authors” section.) |
Articles are reviewed by editors before publication. |
Some databases allow you to limit your search to “peer reviewed” or “refereed” journals. |
Find a journal article
Once you have a
good overview of your research topic,
find
and read journal articles to develop a deeper understanding
of what is known and not known on your topic.
Research studies most often take the form of journal
articles and investigate a very
specific aspect of a
particular issue.
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Suggested
Databases
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Sociological Abstracts
Provides access to the latest international
findings in theoretical and applied
sociology,
social science, and political science.
Watch a video (approx. 6 min.) 
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Academic Search Premier
Full-text. A large, multi-disciplinary
database offering full text for nearly 1,850
scholarly journals, including more than 1,250
peer-reviewed titles. |
ERIC
A national database of education literature, including
reports and journal articles.
Coverage: 1966→current
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PsycINFO
Available via EbscoHost: A comprehensive international
database of psychology, covering the academic, research,
and practice literature in psychology from over 45
countries in more than 30 languages.
Coverage: 1887→current
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Citing your sources
- For this class, all written work
must be in APA
Style.
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Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association. 5th ed.
Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, 2001.
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Examples
APA Quick Reference
Guide
In-text citing and works cited examples.
Using APA Style 5th edition
The OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue
University provides a myriad of example
of works cited and in-text citations.
Bookmark this page!
apastyle.org
Produced by the APA, this site contains
a wealth of information about APA citation
style. It is not a replacement for owning
the Publication Manual, though.
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