To find related articles, click the link below to the Articles page of this Guide.
Scholarly means that the author is an expert in the subject area. Peer-reviewed means that the paper was reviewed by another expert in the field. A Scholarly and Peer-Reviewed article is a high quality paper published in an Academic Journal.
Researchers write articles about their research and then publish them in Academic Journals. Then these Journals are available through Databases that the library purchases for your use. A Database is a collection of related materials.
Anyone can publish on the internet. They may or may not know their topic. In order to publish in a Journal, you must be an expert and meet specific standards in your area of expertise.
This means that you can trust what you read in a Journal Article.
A journal is similar to a magazine. What is the difference? A magazine is a glossy popular source of news, culture or related materials that is available for a few dollars at the grocery store or other popular establishment. A journal is not glossy, and it is full of the latest research in its field. They are expensive to buy individually, but are free to Iowa Lakes Community College patrons.
An Abstract is a brief summary written by the author of a paper. It provides a short background and the conclusions of the research. Not all papers contain an Abstract. If one is provided, most Databases will post this Abstract in the Entry page (what opens when you click on the Article's link). Read this section to decide whether or not you want to continue reading.
Most papers will provide an introduction to the topic being discussed. It might discuss the history of the topic, previous research, and related topics. You should read this section to gain a background of the topic. You can skim sections that are unrelated to your topic.
Some articles will also have a Literature Review that describes previous research on the topic. You can use this section to find other sources to use in your paper as well. Some online articles will provide hyperlinks to these articles, but all will provide the citation necessary for you to find the articles yourself. If you cannot find an article, please contact library staff. We can usually order the article through Inter-Library Loan at no cost to you. Give staff a week or more to find the article as we have to rely on librarians at other institutions to send it to us.
The Methodology provides exactly how the researchers conducted the research for the article. For example, if a doctor is researching a new cancer drug for treating patients, the doctor will publish the results from their research.
You do NOT need to read this section, unless instructed by your professor. Researchers can use this section to determine the credibility of the research. As you are not an expert in research or the field of study, then it may be unhelpful and even confusing for you to read through it. It is important that if you do read this section, consider looking up words that are unfamiliar to you.
Read this section. It describes what the researchers found within their study. This is the heart of the article. It is the most important section.
