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FES 522: Research Methods in Social Science (Tynon)

Finding Journal Suggestions in Library Databases

For this assignment, you need to find JOURNALS. The databases can help you do this.   Hint - databases often call journals "sources."

  • Go to a database (see options on the right).
  • Enter a keyword search.
  • Often, on the left side of the page will be options to refine your search. Choose the option with "sources."
  • The sources are a list of journal names on your topic.

Find Journal Suggestions Using Google Scholar

Google Scholar provides journal suggestions based on the subject you're interested in.

To see journal suggestions in Google Scholar, click on the Metrics at the top of the Google Scholar search page.

Next, choose the broad disciplinary field - for example, Life Sciences and Earth Sciences. Click Subcategories. Then choose your specific subject interest to see a list of the top journals in your field.

How Important is That Journal?

The Impact Factor measure for many journals is available using the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). As you investigate a particular journal, you can also review the summary information for the subject in JCR.  Crititcal to know about JCR:

  • As a general rule, impact factors (and other journal-level metrics) are not comparable across disciplines.
  • Impact factor is about the journal as a whole, not a measure of the quality of individual articles published within the journal.

JCR category Immunology showing example category metrics

    Finding the full text of an article

     Look for the 360 link to full text button to open the full article.

    Options for getting to the PDF will open in a new window. Sometimes the link will take you to the journal, not the individual article. Use the citation information for the article to get to the right year, volume and issue of the journal.

    If the library doesn't have it, request the article for free from Interlibrary Loan. On average, articles arrive digitally within one business day.