Research 101 - Getting Started in Library Research
Try the steps outlined in this guide for a simple and effective search strategy to find information for your research paper, project or presentation.
Peer Reviewed? Refereed?
Peer Review. The process of obtaining impartial opinions from the research and academic community in order to ascertain whether papers submitted for publication in journals ... are of a sustainable standard.
Referee. An independent expert who assists the editor of a journal in evaluating the acceptability of contributions submitted for publication.
Criteria for Evaluation
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Scholarly Journals
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Popular Magazines
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| Bibliographies or references included | Usually DO NOT have bibliographies |
| Authors are experts, often professors at universities or research centers |
Authors are often journalists or generalists |
| Contain articles approved by author's peers (peer reviewed) or refereed | Contain articles chosen by editors who are employed by the magazine or people within a certain trade field |
| Audience is the scholarly reader, such as professors, researchers, students |
Audience is the general population |
| Standardized formats are usually followed (APA, MLA, etc.) |
Various formats which are often unstructured |
| Written in the jargon of the field |
Written for anyone to understand |
| Any illustrations support the text (maps, tables, photos) |
Often illustrated for market appeal |
