A journal is a publication that is often dedicated to a particular subject, discipline, or career field. Some journals are called scholarly or peer-reviewed. That means that the research articles within that journal have all been reviewed by other experts in that field before the article and approved before they get published. This makes for a very reliable, credible article! Journals can be in print or electronic. Search the library databases to find journal articles for your research.
How is a journal different from a magazine? A magazine is also a publication that has articles within. However, these articles are not scholarly or peer-reviewed. These articles need to be evaluated further before using them in your research. Magazines can also be in print or digital form and can be found by searching the library databases.
Search all of the journals you can access by title or subject!
Popular sources are from magazines, newspapers, YouTube videos, most websites, social media, and other similar methods of delivery. These sources have not necessarily been evaluated for accuracy, objectivity, and lack of bias. These may be sources you can use in your assignment depending on the specific criteria.
Scholarly or Peer-Reviewed sources are from scholarly journals and scholarly websites. To become a scholarly/peer-reviewed source, that source must have been reviewed and evaluated by experts in that field (the same field that the source is about) for accuracy, objectivity, and lack of bias. These sources are the most accurate and credible sources you can find.
Please contact a librarian if you need help finding your sources. If you are unsure if you can use a source in your assignment, please ask your professor for their opinion.