FINDING & USING SCHOLARLY (OR ACADEMIC (OR JOURNAL)) ARTICLES

LINC Session | Spring ‘14 | Ms Hazzard

Some terminology

Scholarly = Academic = Journal NOT magazine or newspaper articles

What are scholarly articles?

Report original research Authored by specialists Published in academic journals

How to determine if a source is scholarly…

Formal language Formal presentation Author background / experience Proper citation and bibliography Original research and interpretation Not just a summary Use of primary sources Use of research methodology

Why do we use them?

To find out more about a specific topic EXPECTED in academic work: gives you

credibility. Authors undergo rigorous process of

submission and peer-editing, often working for more than one year on a single article: gives author / research credibility.

Different types of scholarly articles Research Review Theoretical Clinical Brief report Book reviewQualitative v Quantitative research

A typical scholarly article

Gibbons, Sandra L. "Meaningful Participation of Girls in Senior Physical Education Courses." Canadian Journal of Education 2009: 222-44. JSTOR. Web. 13 November, 2012.

A typical scholarly articlei) Authors

Google for more information...

A typical scholarly articleii) Abstract

A typical scholarly articleiii) Introduction

A typical scholarly articleiv) Methodology

A typical scholarly articlev) Results

A typical scholarly articlevi) Discussion / Conclusion

A typical scholarly articlevii) Bibliography

Skimming / 1

Think about WHO / WHAT / WHERE / WHEN / WHY / HOW as you read

Look for important facts, key vocabulary words and terms, and words that are clues to relationships e.g. therefore, because, until, instead

Look up definitions! Key sections: ABSTRACT /

INTRODUCTION / RESULTS / CONCLUSION / FIGURES

Skimming / 2

What is the author trying to say, and how are they trying to say it

Why is the author’s point important? What is the social context of the work? Highlight / circle / underline!

Skimming / 3: Look at the bibliography

Which sources were used to write this paper?

Even if article is of no use, bibliography can be very helpful

Can help you narrow your focus

Narrowing your focus

Evaluating your article

Authors Date Publication information

Accessing scholarly articles

Not ‘google-able’: $$$ Via CPIQ / Proquest / Questia / databases

at the Toronto Public Library Choose peer-reviewed / academic

journals tab

CPIQ

Proquest

Questia

How to search a database

Remember that only RECENT articles are indexed (usually mid-’90s onwards)

Start with keyword search Remember to use quotation marks e.g.

“Roman Temples” If no matches, use synonyms Think about using connecting words

e.g. Smoking OR Tobacco / Gods AND Egypt

Evaluating your source

Read critically Look for bias Assess the argument Read the acknowledgements,

particularly in science articles

Citation

Author of article last name, first name. "Title of article." Name of publication. Volume. Issue (Date): Page numbers. Name of Database. Web. Date of Access.

O'Meara, Stephen James. "A Volcanic Sunset." Astronomy. 37.5 (May 2009): 18. CPIQ. Web. 8 August 2013.

Povoledo, Elisabetta. "Rare peek at riches of past in Rome." New York Times. (July 4 2009): C1. Proquest

Platinum. Web. 8 August 2009.

Questions?

For more information on scholarly journals, see A Pocket Style Manual.

I will post this presentation, plus the handout, on our blog, library website and Edsby page.