For more databases, see the A-Z Resources page.
| Scholarly Journals | Popular Journals | Trade Journals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Informs and reports on original research done by scholars and experts in the field. | Entertains and informs a general audience without providing in-depth analysis. | Reports on industry trends and new products or techniques useful to people in a trade or business. |
| Authors | Articles are written by subject specialists and experts in the field. | Articles are written by journalists, freelance writers, or an editorial staff. | Articles are written by specialists in a certain field or industry. |
| Audience | Intended for a limited audience - researchers, scholars, and experts. | Intended for a broad segment of the population, appealing to non-specialists. | Intended for practititioners in a particular profession, business, or industry. |
This search will not find individual articles.
Question: What value lies in journals? Why, for example, would a researcher choose a journal over a book?
Answer: Journals are often the best way to learn about the latest research in a discipline. The articles are written by scholars and can cover very specific topics or narrow fields of research in the field. The bibliographies included often point to other relevant research. Because journals are published on a regular or periodic basis, they are sometimes called "periodicals."
