Library 101: Everything you need to get started with the Library: Journal Articles

When you're searching the Library website using the method outlined in the video above, if you find an item that is very useful to you, click on any of the subject words on the items page, and it will show you all the other items that are also under that subject. This works for IADT Library's search as well as for almost all database searches. 

You may need to find an article that is only available in print, or you may want to browse print journals and magazines to see what they contain. 

To find print articles you will first need to know the name of the journal or magazine the article was published in, as well as the year and volume/issue number. 

If the issue/volume is current then you can find it on level 1 of the Library, just inside the main entrance to the right. If it is an older issue, please ask a member of staff, or email us, and we will retrieve it out of storage for you. 

Please feel free to browse the current issues on level 1, but be aware that journals and magazines cannot be borrowed/removed from the Library like a book or DVD can be. They must be read in the Library or photocopied. 

Academic journal articles are written pieces of research that researchers publish in academic journals. These journals can be online or printed. They can look very similar to magazine and to magazine articles, but the difference os that academic journal articles are written by experts in the field, are peer-reviewed, and are appropriate to use for your assignments. Journal articles are usually the main sources people use in their assignments. 

Journal articles:

• Contain detailed, in-depth information.
• Are written by experts in the field.
• Contain recent research on a topic.
• Contain an abstract.
• Are written in academic language.
• Are aimed at the academic community.
• Are peer-reviewed.
• Contain references to other reliable academic sources.
• Have information that can be checked to see if it's accurate.
• Are written by an author with proper academic credentials. 
• Are usually found in library databases or on Google Scholar.

The above list can be used to check if what you are reading is an academic journal, or is an opinion article in a magazine or on a website.