Scholarly journals are publications written by experts—such as researchers, professors, or professionals—for other experts in their field. They are usually published by universities, academic societies, or professional associations. These articles often present the results of original research or offer in-depth analysis on a specialized topic. Most importantly, scholarly articles go through a peer-review process, where other scholars evaluate the quality, accuracy, and credibility of the research before it is published.
In contrast, popular sources—like magazines, newspapers, blogs, or general websites—are written for the general public. They are often created by journalists or freelance writers and may not go through a rigorous review process. While they can be useful for background information or current events, popular sources typically lack the depth, citations, and academic rigor required for college-level research.
Ready to start searching for scholarly journal articles? You will find them in our EBSCO and JSTOR databases. Connect to those through the Popular Databases link on the library homepage.
Recommended Article Databases for History
JSTOR - A scholarly journal database for the Humanities and Social Sciences
America History and Life with Full Text - Includes literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present.
U.S. History (Gale in Context) - Includes articles and primary source documents on hundreds of the most significant people, events, and topics in U.S. history.