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HDFS 5100: Introduction to Human Development & Family Sciences

This course guide was created for Dr. Christine Gray's HDFS 5100: Introduction to HDFS class.

Why Use Scholarly?

Scholarly journals are written for and by people who work in academics: professors, researchers, undergraduate or graduate students. This type of article is best suited for your research because it is reliable and authoritative.

Types of Periodicals

  Scholarly Journals Popular Magazines
 
Authors Articles are written by authorities in the field Articles are usually written by professional writers or journalists
Sources Authors cite their sources in endnotes, footnotes, or bibliographies There are rarely bibliographies
Audience Aimed at scholarly readers (researchers, professors, or students) Aimed at general population
Publisher Often published by academic or association presses Published by commercial (for profit) presses
Advertisements Contains few to no advertisements Contain numerous advertisements
Peer-review? Most articles are reviewed by an author’s peers before publication to ensure high quality Rare
Article scope Journals usually have a narrow subject focus, and articles often include original research, reviews, or essays Used to inform, update, or introduce a topic to a general reader
Graphics Illustrations often consist of charts or graphs Numerous colorful illustrations and/or photographs are usually present
Language Articles use jargon of the discipline Language is geared to general population; no special knowledge is required
Examples American Journal of Botany, The Academy of Management Journal, Social Research Runner's World, Ebony, Time

Is this Journal or Article Peer-Reviewed?

If you have a journal or article and you need to check if it is peer reviewed, use the Ulrich's Periodical Directory database.

  • Enter the name of the journal that the article was published in the search bar.
  • Look for the referee jersey icon or the line that says "Refereed: Yes."

peer reviewed

  • The term refereed is just another way of saying peer reviewed, so if you see either or both of those things, your journal is peer reviewed.
  • If you don't see the icon or if the description of the journal says "Refereed: No," that journal is not peer reviewed.