UNF Library | Research Help for Students | What is a Scholarly Journal?

WHAT IS AN ACADEMIC/SCHOLARLY JOURNAL?

An article is most likely in an academic/scholarly journal if

it presents research from a particular field.
articles are written by and for experts.
it has footnotes or references or a bibliography.

Here is information about peer reviewed/refereed articles.

Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory will tell you if a publication is a magazine, a trade publication or an academic/scholarly journal and if it is refereed/peer-reviewed.

If you found your article using a database, you can click on the Article Linker button and Ulrich's will be one of your choices on the menu. It will take you straight to the journal description.

GLOSSARY

journal	a periodical containing scholarly articles and/or disseminating current information on research and development in a particular subject field
magazine	a periodical for general reading containing articles, stories, photographs and advertisements on a variety of subjects
peer-reviewed	see refereed journal
periodical	a serial appearing or intended to appear indefinitely at regular or stated intervals, generally more frequently than annually. Magazines, journals and newspapers are all periodicals.
refereed journal	a refereed journal has a structured reviewing system in which at least two reviewers, excluding in-house editors, evaluate each unsolicited manuscript and advise the editor as to acceptance or rejection. Refereed is used interchangeably with peer-reviewed in Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory
serial	a publication in any medium issued in successive parts bearing numerical or chronological designations and intended to be continued indefinitely

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