Our new SNAP! Search makes finding information and credible sources a breeze. Search almost all of our databases at once with this powerful search. Here, you’ll find journals, books, videos, magazines, and more all in one search.
Magazines and journals are published more frequently than books. The information is often more current and is easy to locate using library databases. Journal articles are much more specific and in-depth than many books and magazines. Often journal articles list the sources used to write the article allowing you to find other related sources easliy.
Should I use scholarly or popular sources?
Journals and magazines are important sources for up-to-date information. With database access to large and diverse periodical collections, it is often difficult to distinguish between the various levels of scholarship found in the collections.
There are five main categories for periodical literature:
1. Scholarly
2. Trade/Professional
3. Substantive News/General Interest
4. Popular
5. Sensational
The first three are appropriate for academic research.
The document below adapted from Cornell University Library describes in detail the attributes for each category.