Library Article Terms Q & A
What is a peer-reviewed article or journal?
Peer-reviewed means that articles before publication go through a rigorous process of review by experts in that subject field. This is to ensure that the articles meet the standards of that discipline. After the articles have been peer-reviewed, they are published in peer-reviewed journals.
Is peer-reviewed the same as the term refereed?
Yes, more or less. The review process by publication experts is different for each one.
What is a periodical?
The term periodical can apply to any journal, magazine, or newspaper that is published at regularly occurring intervals.
What is a scholarly journal?
A scholarly journal is a scholarly publication with multiple articles that is often subject specific or has a specific audience. Sometimes referred to as a periodical, because they are published at regularly occurring intervals.
What is a trade journal?
A trade journal is written by experts in a specific industry that discusses news, trends, and opinions. They are not scholarly journals because they are not peer-reviewed.
How Do I Evaluate Websites? Oh, the CRAAP Test!
If you find a website that you think might be useful for your assignment, use this list as an evaluation tool.
Currency
- When was this article or page published? Has it been updated since then?
- Has the author written more recent papers on the same subject?
- Does this article contain statistics or data? Are more current figures available elsewhere?
Relevance
- Does the information in this article answer your research question?
- Does the type of article fit the requirements of your assignment?
- Is this article appropriate for college-level research?
Authority
- Who wrote the article?
- Is the author an expert in the field? What credentials does he or she have to suggest that?
- Can you find any other resources that cite this article?
Accuracy
- Does the information in the article fit with what you already know about the subject?
- Does the article contain references or citations to other resources?
Purpose
- Does the article seem to be objective, or is there any obvious bias or prejudice?
- Does the author use emotional language?
- Is the author writing on behalf of any company or political entity?
The CRAAP test was originally created by librarians at Meriam Library at California State University, Chico.
Types of Periodicals
| Scholarly Journals | Popular Magazines | |
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| 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 it Refereed/Peer-Reviewed?
- Ulrich'sTo find out if a journal is considered Refereed/Peer-Reviewed, check the Ulrich's database by doing a search for the title of the journal. Many library research databases allow searches to be limited to articles published in Scholarly/Academic as well as Peer-Reviewed journals.
