Evaluating information: Journals and journal articles

Contents

1. Evaluating information: Journals and journal articles
2. What are journals?
3. Why should you read journals?
4. Accessing journals in the Library
5. Types of journal
6. Academic journals, also known as peer-reviewed or refereed journals
   1. Activity 1: Academic journals
   2. Activity 2: Peer-reviewed journals
7. Finding and accessing peer-reviewed journal articles
8. Trade publications (Trade press)
9. Professional journals
10. Popular magazines
11. Evaluating journal articles
    1. Purpose and content
    2. Authority
    3. Currency
    4. Objectivity/Bias
12. Summary

Activity 2: Peer-reviewed journals

1

Is this an academic journal article? Click on the link below to access the article 'Social behaviors increase in children with autism in the presence of animals compared to toys'. Which of the points listed below would help you to decide whether this article is of a high academic standard? Click to select your responses and then "check your answer". a) The authors are from academic institutions b) There is a received, accepted and published date on the article c) There are 62 references in the article d) The article has an abstract e) The journal is peer-reviewed All of these statements indicate that this article has been taken from a peer-reviewed journal (PLOS ONE) which should give you some assurances as to the quality of the information it contains.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0057010

Sometimes you can find useful information on the publisher's website that tells you who the journal is aimed at. This section should also provide guidance for authors who want to submit their articles and might then refer to the peer-review or referee process.

Remember you can look for similar details in the paper version of the journal, look for sections such as: About this Journal/Aims and Scope/Subscription information or see if any instructions are provided for authors/contributors inside the back cover.