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Journals & Periodicals: Identifying Scholarly Sources

Learn how to distinguish between the 3 major categories of information sources: scholarly, popular, and trade.

Accessing the Databases

Access online library materials through the library databases!

To access the databases locked icon (same icon that displays by the LSC-limited access resources) from off-campus, you will be prompted to enter your LSC email/password or your 14-digit library barcode.

Using Individual Databases

Pro-Tip! megaphoneTake advantage of Advanced Search limiters to get exclusively scholarly search results. Remember, not all library databases contain scholarly content, and many of them have a mix of scholarly and popular sources!

EBSCOhost logo

EBSCOhost databases include: Academic Search Complete, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, and more. You can limit your search to "scholarly (peer-reviewed) journals" from the Advanced Search screen, or filter your results after the fact.

Screenshot of EBSCO's peer-review limiter

Gale logo

Gale-Cengage databases include: Literature Resource Center, Health Reference Center, and more.

Screenshot of Gale peer-review limiter

JSTOR logo

The database JSTOR does not have a limiter for scholarly content because that's what it contains exclusively. However, you should limit your search to "articles" or perhaps "research reports."

screenshot of JSTOR's "narrow by" options