History  

When your professors asks you to use "scholarly articles" or "academic journals," what exactly are they talking about?

Academic journals contain articles. Simply put, these are typically lengthy research essays. What makes them "scholarly" is the fact that the authors usually hold a doctorate (or Ph.D.) in the given field (history, English, etc.).

The other distinguishing factor is the fact that the articles will have undergone a rigorous trial by jury process in order to qualify for publication. It's similar to "American Idol" auditions, except that the judges are other professional scholars whose job it is to evaluate the articles.

• JSTOR
  Includes the full-text of about eighty scholarly journals in literature, usually from the first issue through from two to five years ago. Does not include current issues.
• Academic Search Premier
  Access to over 8,000 scholarly journals and popular magazines covering all academic subjects. The full-text is available for about 4,700 periodicals.
• Research Library
  Provides coverage to over 2600 journals, magazines, and newspapers covering all academic subjects. Full-text for over 1,700 journals is available.