Nutrition

These databases contain a variety of scientific and health including studies, reviews, and articles. 

These databases allow you to access full-text news articles from a variety of news resources. 

The terms scholarly article, academic article, research article, peer-reviewed article, and refereed article are often used interchangeably. So what do these terms actually mean? And where should you look to find scholarly articles?

Peer review refers to the editorial process that research undergoes before it's published in an academic journal. Before publication, an article is evaluated by a group of scholars in that field of research. Sometimes articles are rejected; sometimes they're accepted; and other times, they're sent back to the author for revisions. Peer review isn't a perfect system, and peer review doesn't guarantee that the research that is published is above reproach. (It also doesn't mean that solid research can't be found outside of academic journals.) But it's the way much of academic research is vetted, published, and distributed--and it's what your professors generally mean when they ask you to look for a "scholarly article."    

It's possible to find peer-reviewed articles through a basic web search, but because of the high cost of academic journals, you'll typically find more academic research by searching one of our library databases. 

What isn’t a scholarly article?

• A popular magazine article written for the general public
• A book review, even if it is published in a scholarly journal
• A dissertation abstract, the brief summary of a graduate student’s thesis

Research Tips

• When starting a new search in a particular database, look for ways to limit your results. Many databases have check boxes labeled “peer reviewed” or “scholarly journals” while others allow you to choose multiple document types (e.g., books, articles, etc.).
• If you choose not to limit the results of your search and you’re uncertain about a particular item in your list of results, you can click the title to view the full record and check the document type. 

Primary Source
A document written or a physical object created during the time and place under study. Primary sources offer scholars a contemporary or inside view of events and can include creative works, relics or artifacts, as well as documents. In general, instructors will accept a translation of a primary text as a primary text if you are unable to read the original language.

Secondary Source
An interpretation or analysis of one or more primary sources. Secondary sources look back on the time or events under study. They may include representations of or quotations from primary sources.

Can't find the article you need at Beneficial-Hodson Library? You can request it through our interlibrary loan service (ILL).

ILL Log-In & Frequently Asked Questions