Articles in scholarly publications are usually published by academic publishers or by scholarly or professional societies and organizations. The intended audience consists of specialists in professions and academic disciplines, teachers, and researchers. These journals are often subscribed to by individual scholars or by college and university libraries.
Articles in scholarly publications receive what is called in the academic world "peer review." Prior to acceptance for publication, all manuscripts of proposed articles are reviewed by scholars in the field to judge scholarly merit, research value, and accuracy. Scholarly articles normally indicate the credentials of the author, explain the methodology used in the research, and list footnotes or references to document the source material used in writing the article.
Once you find a citation of interest, look for links to the text of the article itself. If you cannot find the article in any database or at your library, contact the Interlibrary Loan department of your library.
Check with the reference librarians at your library. They have information about the services of your own library and further recommendations on appropriate sources (electronic or print) to meet your information needs.
June 2025
