Articles

Peer-reviewed journal articles are those most likely to be required for class assignments, because these articles have been written by scholars for other scholars and reviewed by subject-matter experts. They also include citations to other scholarly works. Examples include articles from the scholarly journals International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Latin American Economic Review, or Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Newspaper/Magazine articles (often called “popular” articles) are written for a general audience rather than for scholars or professionals and include information about very recent events/topics as well as local information and opinions about issues. Examples include The New Orleans Advocate, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Offbeat, or Rolling Stone. Older newspapers can be good resources for reviewing historical events. 

Professional or trade articles are written by professionals in the field or by staff writers. The articles in professional or trade publications, like those in magazines, go through a less rigorous review process than scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. Examples of professional/trade journals include Architectural Digest, EDUCAUSE Review, or The Harvard Business Review.

The Article Search feature of the Library Search interface or full-text databases can be direct sources for articles. To find cited articles, search for the publications in which they appear with the Library Search interface or the E-Journal A-Z list. For a more precise search, use library databases, especially subject or discipline-focused databases that cover the most relevant research literature available within specific disciplines or fields of study. Library Guides list discipline-specific databases, or ask a librarian for a personalized recommendation. Is there an article you want that we don’t have? Articles are often available from other libraries through interlibrary loan.