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Assignment Calculator

A Time Management Tool for Researching and Writing Your Paper

Step 5 – Find and Evaluate Journal Articles

Key Points

  • Determine the type of articles you need—popular or scholarly—and whether they should be from primary or secondary sources.
  • Find articles using the library databases.
  • Evaluate articles to make sure they’re appropriate.

Determine the Type of Articles You Need

Articles are excellent sources of information because they offer the most current research available. They are published in periodicals—that is, publications issued on a regular basis, such as journals, magazines and newspapers.

Popular vs. Scholarly Articles

You have probably noticed the difference between popular magazines and scholarly journal articles. The articles in popular magazines are usually written by professional writers who are not subject experts and may not list the sources for the information they’ve gathered. Scholarly journal articles are more detailed, often have new research and include a bibliography of their sources. Scholarly journals are also referred to as “academic,” “peer-reviewed,” and “refereed” meaning that they have been reviewed by other experts before publication.

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Your professor may require that you gather primary sources for your research paper.

  • Primary sources are original documents or items that were created at the time of the event you are researching. These include diaries, speeches, photographs, manuscripts, and even published works written by someone present at the time of the event. 

  • Secondary sources are works that review and analyze events or primary sources. These include biographies, textbooks, encyclopedias, and literary criticism. They may be written long after the event.


Find Articles

Use OneSearch

The library's OneSearch system searches all of the library's article databases. Enter your search terms then use the filters to the left of your results list to limit to articles and peer-reviewed journals, if you need peer-reviewed articles.

 

Screenshot of OneSearch's articles and peer reviewed journals filters

Use the Library Databases

OneSearch is good for general searches, but if you need to get specific, the King Library databases are great because you can limit to a particular subject area. Watch this short video to learn how to use these databases.

 

If you have any questions about your research contact a subject specialist librarian.


Image of a light bulbNote! When you find a good article, read the References list at the end to find more articles on your topic. 


Evaluating Journal Articles

Ask these questions of journal articles that you use in your research to be sure that they are appropriate for your purpose.

  • Authority: Is the author an expert on the subject? What are the author’s credentials?
  • Audience: Who is the author addressing? Other experts or the general public?
  • Accuracy: Does the author explain the research methods? Are there any obvious grammatical or spelling errors?
  • Timeliness: What is the date of the publication? Does more recent research exist contradicting this article?
  • Objectivity: Is the author trying to persuade the audience? Is there an obvious bias?

Now that you have learned about researching articles and evaluating your materials, proceed to Step 6: Work with Your Topic to learn essential information about finding and evaluating websites. 

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