Journals
Journals are basically academic magazines published on a regular basis, for example, weekly, monthly or quarterly, and are subject specific.
Journals are generally organised by volume, and have multiple issues within that volume, each with a different number. This information helps to identify different issues, by looking at the year, the volume and the issue number. Each issue contains a number of articles written by different authors. Journals are extremely important for keeping up-to-date with the latest theory, research and practice in your subject area and topic.
When you get to university, you will be expected to use academic journals in your assignments as the articles and information in them tend to be more credible and reliable. Starting to get into the habit of reading journal articles now can help prepare you for higher level of study.
You may also hear journals referred to as popular magazines, or trade magazines however there are important differences between them.
Watch this video to find out more.
Once you have watched the video, test your knowledge of types of journals with our quick quiz.
Journal articles are written about specific, and often very niche, topics. They are shorter then books and contain more up to date research. Articles are published in issues or parts of journals with each issue/part containing a number of articles written by different authors (see previous tab). In each journal issue, either on the front page or a few pages in, you will find a table of contents (TOC) which will list all the articles that are in that issue.
In addition to the article, you will usually see the following information:
Have a look at the how to read a journal article guide for further guidance.
When searching for literature you may hear the term 'peer review' or you might be asked to find and use peer reviewed articles in your coursework. But what does peer review mean? The peer review process is something articles go through prior to being published in a journal. When an author submits their article it gets sent to 'peer reviewers' - subject experts/researchers/practitioners in the same field - who assess and evaluate the research conducted for validity, accuracy and originality.
Then the article either gets accepted for publication, the author has to make revisions or the article is rejected. The peer review process is a mark of quality and offers assurance that the information in the article is reliable and credible to use in your academic work.
Have a look at this video to find out more.
libncsu (2014) Peer review in 3 Minutes! 1st May. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOCQZ7QnoN0 (Accessed 29 April 2023).
When you get to university, you will be expected to use academic journals in your assignments as the articles and information in them tend to be more credible and reliable. If you are undertaking the EPQ you will need to use academic sources and this includes journals.
There are several reasons why it is important to use journal articles in your academic work:
Primary research
Journals are the principal place in which primary research is published. You can find the details, methods and results from the research study or experiment. The article will focus on original research, this contrasts with secondary sources (textbooks/literature reviews/meta-analyses articles) that provide a commentary or analysis of research.
Focus
Unlike textbooks which provide a broad overview of a subject, journal articles tend to focus on very specific or niche aspects of a topic. It will also cover the topic in much more detail.
Currency
Journal articles are published more frequently than other sources like textbooks. Therefore, they are extremely useful for keeping up to date with the latest theory, research and practice in your subject area. This is particularly significant for some subjects, such as medicine or computing, where developments and research can move quickly.
Quality
Journal articles are generally considered to be a high-quality information source because of the peer review process they go through (see the what does peer reviewed mean? tab). This complex critical process means articles are seen as the ‘gold standard’ for academic research. Articles are authoritative material as they are written by experts and leaders in a particular field of research.
Most journals are now published online and require a subscription, or for you to be a student at university, in order to view, print or download the articles in them. Therefore, journals can be harder to access than other sources of information, although you might find some will be available from your school and also public libraries. If you are an FE student studying at our Buxton and Leek College you will have access to thousands of eJournal articles and trade magazines, available via our Library Search discovery platform. You can find out more on your subject guide.
If you visit our libraries, as part of an arranged visit with your school, you can access the print journals we have in stock and you will also find print copies of trade magazines in the library. All print journals are listed on Library Search and the records will show which site they are located at and how long we have kept the title for. A record for a print journal will look something like this:
You can see that copies are kept at Kedleston Road library and that are holdings are from 2002-2006.
Print journals at Kedleston Road Library are held on the lower ground floor in compact storage areas called the 'Stack'. If you need help finding a print journal just ask our friendly staff on the service desks for assistance.
There are several other tools that you can use to search for journals and journal articles, including Google Scholar and Open Access resources. and you can find more information about them in the Finding information: how and where to search section.
