EDU 222/223 Educational Psychology

When using any of the Library's Articles & Research Databases, look for an option to limit to peer-reviewed or refereed publications.  Remember, however, that not all the content of a peer-reviewed journal is peer-reviewed - you may find editorials and letters to the editor, for example. When you find an article, check to see if it includes references, information about the author(s), and other characteristics of a scholarly article.

   Scholarly Journals

• Authors are experts/authorities in their fields.
• Authors cite their sources in endnotes, footnotes, or bibliographies.
• Individual issues have little or no advertising.
• Articles must go through a peer-review process (experts in the discipline evaluate each author's work before any articles are published).
• Articles are usually reports on scholarly research.
• Illustrations usually take the form of charts and graphs.
• Articles use jargon of the discipline.
• Articles are typically five or more pages in length.
  

   Popular Magazines

• Authors are magazine staff members/regular columnists or free lance writers.
• Authors often mention sources, but rarely formally cite them in bibliographies.
• Individual issues contain numerous advertisements.
• There is no peer review process.
• Articles are meant to inform and entertain (thus they are also thought of as consumer publications because they are published for a wide audience).
• Illustrations are numerous and colorful.
• Language is geared to the general adult audience (no specialized knowledge of jargon needed).
• Articles are typically fairly short (one or two columns to one or a few pages).