Useful Databases
- Academic OneFilePeer-reviewed articles offering over 5,400 full-text journal titles, extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature, and more.
- Academic Search EliteMulti-disciplinary database offering full text for nearly 1,850 scholarly journals. Covering social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts and literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies.
- Environmental Science JournalsContains full-text articles, environmental impact statements, and the entire range of bibliographic records from Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management (ESPM).
- JSTORAn archival database of journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The collection includes Arts and Sciences I-IV. Journal issues are not current; most titles are available after a 5-year delay.
- PQ Science JournalsCoverage across a wide range of social science disciplines including anthropology, criminology, economics, education, political science, psychology, social work and sociology.
- ProQuestContains over 2,500 magazines and scholarly journals in a wide range of subjects.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a great resource to see what type of scholarly articles have been written on your topic. While you may not be able to read the full-text article through Google Scholar, you can always search our databases to see if the full-text is available through our subscriptions.
Journals vs. Trade vs. Magazines
Here's a guide to help you determine the article you found is a scholarly, trade, or magazine source.
| Scholarly | Trade | Magazine | |
| Content | Articles reporting research, methodology, and theory | Short articles about a certain business or industry | Current events and general interest articles |
| Purpose | Share research and scholarship with academic community | To inform those in a business or industry about relevant news, trends, and products | To inform, entertain, and elicit emotion regarding personalities, news, and general interests |
| Author | Researchers, professors; credentials provided | Members of a specific business, industry, or organization; staff writers | Non-professionals; Frequently journalists; may or may not have expertise |
| Audience | Scholars and researchers including college students | Industry professionals | General public |
|
Review (Accountability) |
Editorial board; some are peer-reviewed; bibliographies | Editors working for publication; might have short bibliography; not peer-reviewed | Editors working for publication; not experts |
| Advertisement | Few, if any | Moderate; geared toward products for industry professionals | Heavy; numerous glossy ads and photos for lots of products |
| Appearance | Plain; black and white graphics/illustrations supporting findings | Glossy, colorful, and numerous photos | Glossy and large with lots of color pictures; catchy titles |
| Frequency | Quarterly or semi-annually | Usually weekly or monthly | Usually weekly or monthly |
| Citations | Bibliographies; footnotes/endnotes | None or very short bibliographies | None |
| Examples | Journal of Abnormal Psychology; | American Libraries |
Time; Health; Entertainment Weekly; Sports Illustrated |
