All types of publications may be useful for different purposes, but scholarly journals are often required for academic assignments.

Scholarly Journals Provide articles written by experts Often include reports of original research May be "peer-reviewed" or "refereed," meaning the articles have gone through a critical selection process by scholars in the field. Some databases allow you to select only peer-reviewed articles for a search. A librarian can help you find databases with this feature. Often include an introductory abstract Include citations and bibliographies

Note: Please be aware that these journal categories are somewhat arbitrary. You still need to use your own critical skills to distinguish between editorials, letters, reviews, and research material, regardless of the category of the journal in which the work appears.

Evaluation Tool: Try the online database Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory. This resource lists important information about periodicals (ISSN number, publisher, subscription price, etc.), and it often includes the category (scholarly, trade, etc.) that best describes the periodical.

Information on scholarly journals in a particular discipline may often be found in subject-specific reference books, such as Cabell's Directory of Publishing Opportunities... which has separate volumes for various areas in education and business.