Use this tool to locate a specific journal, or to find an article if you have a complete citation.

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 A Note about Peer Review by Naomi Lederer

"Peer review" refers to the policy of having experts in the field examine journal articles before acceptance for publication. Peer review insures that the research described in a journal's articles is sound and of high quality. Sometimes the term "refereed" is used instead of peer review. Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory, located behind the Information Desk, has a list of refereed journals. However, not all scholarly journals are on this list. For unlisted journals, examine the editorial policy, instructions to authors, and/or the editorial board list of members to determine if the editorial boards and/or consultants are experts in the field.

No matter what type of journal an article comes from, be sure to evaluate it. Use How to Evaluate Journal Articles as a guide.

Use these Research Databases to help you track down articles about your topic.

Look for the  button to help you get to the full-text of articles. 

Journals of Commentary and Opinion

This lists a variety of publications that present issues from different perspectives. For the most part, the bias of the authors in these publications is clear and is presented in a straightforward manner. Use these publications to explore various viewpoints.

You can use databases such as Academic Search Premier to search for articles appearing in some of these magazines.

• America
  Considered a contemporary Catholic publication, this weekly magazine presents commentary on current social and political issues. It is edited by lay Roman Catholics, but provides opinions from various standpoints.
• Atlantic Monthly
  Leaning toward the liberal side, this publication emphasizes social issues, and produces some hard-hitting commentary.
• Audubon
  This publication reflects environmental interests, with many articles focusing on the need for conservation.
• Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
  Dedicated to eliminating the threat of nuclear war, this journal offers articles by leading physical, life and social scientists.
• Christian Century
  Founded by Protestants, the Christian Century is considered a moderate to liberal journal, providing Christian and non-Christian religious opinions for the educated layperson or religious professional.
• Commentary
  The stated program of the American Jewish Committee is to "clarify public opinion on problems of Jewish concern, to fight bigotry and protect human rights, and to promote Jewish and cultural interest and creative achievement in America." This publication is considered to be strongly supportive of Israel, and may provide very conservative views on political topics.
• Commonweal
  Commonweal is a Roman Catholic publication which focuses on social issues and literature, rather than theology. Considered less religiously oriented than America.
• Congressional Digest
  Each issue is devoted to a single topic of current interest and importance. Pros and cons of the issue are presented by four to six authors; members of congress as well as other experts, on each side of the debate.
• Current
  Reprints of articles expressing a variety of viewpoints from various sources. Unfortunately, this publication does not offer background on the authors.
• CQ Researcher
  Offers in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy.
• Harper's Magazine
  Each issue of Harper's contains five or six articles with social or political commentary on the world or the nation. Harper's has an investigative journalistic style. Less liberal than Atlantic Monthly.
• Humanist
  Humanism "derives the goals of life from human need and interest rather than from theological or ideological abstractions, and asserts that humanity must take responsibility for its own destiny." This publication has a strong voice on social concerns, favoring government actions while asserting individual liberty.
• Mother Jones
  Named for Mary Harris, "Orator, Union Organizer, and Hellraiser", this magazine, once radical in support of the proletariat and poor, has tamed with age.
• Ms.
  Indexed in: ?
  A news magazine with a strong feminist/liberal stance. The lack of advertising allows the writers independence from political pressure by advertisers.
• Nation
  The Nation is considered to be a leader in liberal journals. Unabashedly partisan, this publication covers political and sociological issues.
• National Review
  Extremely conservative, this publication is known to criticize the Republican Party as being too liberal. The National Review is the standard by which other conservative publications are based. Right-wing editorials and biting political cartoons are highlights.
• New Republic
  Critical liberal commentary, with more balanced coverage than the Nation.
• New Statesman and Society
  Affiliated with the Labour Party, this publication has been described as highly entertaining and "full of British wit."
• Partisan Review
  Fiction, poetry, and essays, including discussion of issues that impact the university culture, with a liberal, pro-education perspective.
• Progressive
  Strongly liberal, the Progressive delves into issues like the environment and U.S. foreign policy. Includes excellent editorial cartoons.
• Utne Reader
  Provides the current "alternative" perspective from over 1,000 small independent magazines.

This list of journals & descriptions was taken with permission from a website formerly located at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/ugl/center/comop.html.

Popular Magazines VS Trade Magazines
VS Scholarly Journals

by Naomi Lederer (originally found http://lib.colostate.edu/howto/poplr.html)

The following is a list of General Criteria that can be used to distinguish between popular magazines, trade magazines, and scholarly journals. Some journals do not meet all the criteria in one category. For example, Scientific American, which has glossy pages and color pictures, contains both scholarly articles as well as those geared to a more general audience. Accountability and content of the specific article are the key criteria used to determine if an article is scholarly. See Evaluation Clues for Articles Taken from the Web for cases when you do not have an entire issue to examine.