Journals, Papers, and More

When researching academic topics, it can help to look at journals, papers, and other academic publications. Though you might have some trouble interpreting them, they are valuable tools for your research and they will add to the validity of the paper or the presentation you need to give.

Benefits of Scholarly Journals

• are written by educated authors. The authors who are published in journals are from universities and colleges. They are able to write on a more sophisticated level and have had more academic training than others.


• have been peer reviewed. Before an article can be included in a journal, it needs to be peer reviewed and reviewed by the journal. This process is not simple, and any concerns will be sent back to the paper authors. Authors have taken this feedback and incorporated it into a new draft.


• have taken years to create. Sometimes the studies in the journals have been taking place over many years. The authors have carefully designed a study or reviewed other studies to ensure their ideas and conclusions have merit.


• are based on cutting edge ideas. Journals like to produce and promote ideas that are new, even revolutionary. These journals then become inspiration for new authors, and they sometimes lead to immediate real-world use.


• are using cutting edge technology. Many journal articles are testing cutting edge machines and other pieces of technology, things that you may not be able to use on your own, but the experience of others can inform your research.


• show complicated ideas in action. When you need to support a complicated idea in your research, journals are often the first place to turn. They offer ways to look at difficult ideas from a scientific and logical standpoint, pointing out problems with ideas as well as solutions.

Accessing Journals, Papers, Etc.

• Be a journal subscriber. You can become a subscriber of a journal if you have certain qualifications. Most often, to subscribe to a medical journal, for example, you need to be a medical student or affiliated with a hospital. These subscriptions can be costly.


• Go to academic libraries. If you can gain access to an academic library, you might be able to access its journal inventory. Most local colleges will offer you a community library card, though you may need to be a student of some sort. Check with the library to see what you need to do.


• Request documents online. Some journals will allow you to request certain articles and studies from their Web sites. You will have to pay for some of these copies to be sent or e-mailed to you.


• Use basic online searches. Of course, your basic search engine is going to be the best starting point for any of your journal usage. When you need to look up a certain topic, look up the keyword as well as "journal" to see what you can find.


• Use tools like Google Scholar. Some search engines also offer tools that will direct you only to results that are based on scholarly research.