SE 212: Human-Computer Interaction

Conventionally, journals and journal articles are usually divided into three distinct types: scholarly, trade and popular. Scholarly articles are those considered most important to research: they are peer-reviewed, contain a bibliography or reference list and sometimes an author’s biography. Each of these components verifies the validity of the content for the reader. In the advanced search or limiting features of most subscription databases, the searcher will have the opportunity to limit the results by “scholarly works” or “peer-reviewed articles” or “refereed publications”—all of which will result in scholarly article results.

Trade journals or white papers, on the other hand, contain information useful to a particular industry or profession and contain articles that may be unsigned, or, more importantly, may not have undergone the peer-review process. The articles are typically reviewed before publication by the journal’s general editors, or are reviewed after publication by other experts in the field.

Popular periodicals are designed to inform the general population, contain large amounts of advertising, and are only valuable to the researcher for basic information or generally-accepted knowledge about a topic. Articles from popular magazines should seldom be referenced in research work unless scholarly works are included to provide additional support of the information.

Knowing how to identify and assess relevant scholarly articles is invaluable to a successful research process. For a quick three-minute video describing the peer-review process, visit NCSU Library's website, or simply view the video below:

Most of the Library's subscription databases allow users to search specifically for "Peer-Reviewed Journals."  Remember to pay attention to the search options available to you in each database you use.

You have probably seen this chart before.  Use the information on this page to review the results of your searches, or to brush up on what makes a good source good.

You will encounter many different kinds of sources during your research.  Please be aware that a Web search and a Database search offer very different results, and often drastically different kinds of information.  Results from a Web search must be closely analyzed and vetted to determine whether or not they are credible and reliable.  Most subscription databases do the work for you, providing only premium scholarly content at a moment's notice.

Comparing Subscription Databases to Internet Resources

Many university and other libraries subscribe to (or purchase access to) databases which contain part and full- text articles, reports, encyclopedia entries, and other professional writings. Content from subscription databases usually has been published, has been reviewed by librarians and/or academic peers prior to publication, and is considered valid and reliable information.

Subscription databases can contain general content or more academic content in specific areas of study.