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Use the following questions to determine if you are using a scholarly or academic journal:
- Where did you find the citation?
- Citations to articles in scholarly journals are often found using subject-oriented indexes (such as ABI/INFORM GLOBAL and Compendex).
- How are the articles chosen for publication?
- Is there a list of reviewers (an editorial board) included in the first few pages of the journal? This type of journal is known as a "juried" or "refereed" journal.
- Is the journal published or sponsored by a professional society or association?
- Organizations such as the American Marketing Association and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) often sponsor scholarly journals.
- Are the author's credentials listed?
- Articles in scholarly journals are written by experts or researchers in the field.
- Is the article organized into at least two of the following sections?
- Introduction or Literature Review; Theory, Background or Hypothesis; Subjects; Methods; Results; Discussion
- Is there an abstract or summary at the beginning of the article?
- Look for the mention of terms such as theory, hypothesis, research methods, and results.
- Is the article based on either original research or authorities in the field (as opposed to the author's personal opinions)?
- Look for a description of the author's credentials.
- Are there supporting diagrams or tables?
- Articles in academic journals often, but not always, include several figures or tables.
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