Primary & Secondary Sources

Scholarly journals are also called peer-reviewed journals.  Peer review is a process by which editors have experts in a field review books or articles submitted for publication by the experts’ peers. Peer review helps to ensure the quality of an information source.

Elements of Scholarly Journals:

Articles are lengthy, in-depth and written in the jargon of the field for others with similar backgrounds

• Authors are experts in the field
• Audience is the scholarly reader [professors, students, researchers]
• Illustrations support the text
• Bibliographies or references are always included
• Examples: American Sociological Review, Journal of Abnormal Psychology; Journal of Applied Science & Engineering Technology