English Composition
English 4 and 5 offers SMC students writing and research skills that they'll use throughout their time at SMC, and beyond.
Subject Guides
You can also search for ebooks directly from:
Use the following suggested general database to find articles:
(world newspapers)[For information on how to find Op-ed articles in Lexis Nexis]
(world newspapers, including California newspapers such as the San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News) (Local newspapers) All Proquest databases in one search, including Sociological Abstracts, ABI/Inform, and the New York Times (historical)
Multisearch
Discover articles and books from many of our databases.
Magazines
Magazines
Scholarly vs. Popular Periodicals Video
How do I know It's a Scholarly Journal?
Some of the following characteristics are found in most scholarly journals. As you examine the publication, ask yourself the following questions:
Is the word "journal" or "review" in the title of the periodical?
Is the publication published or sponsored by a professional scholarly society or association? (Hint: Examine the inside cover or first few pages of the journal.
How frequently is the publication published? (journals tend to be published monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually rather than weekly)
Is there a list of reviewers (editorial board) on the inside cover or title page?
Are individual articles organized into at least two of the following sections?
- Introduction or Literature Review
- Theory or Background
- Subjects
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
Does the article have a bibliography or list of references to identify what sources were used to write the article?
Does the title of the article reflect its content (is it fairly detailed?)?
Is there an abstract at the beginning of the article?
Who wrote the article? Are the author's credentials listed? (Hint: Often this information on the first or last page of the article. If not, check at the beginning or the end of the publication for a list of all the authors and their credentials). Journal articles are usually written by college and university professors or scholars from research institutes or associations.
Is the article based on either original research or authorities in the field? (as opposed to personal opinion)
Are there supporting diagrams or illustrations with the article.
How long is the article? (journal articles tend to be longer than a popular magazine article, sometimes as long as 20-30 pages!)
If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, then it probably is a scholarly journal!
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