Quick Summary: Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) and Popular Sources
"Scholarly" sources are
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Written by experts (majority have advanced degrees),
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Contain original research,
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Cite other sources extensively throughout their work and contain works cited section
Peer reviewed articles are scholarly articles that have undergone a review process by other experts in the field before being published (hence - reviewed by their peers).
“Popular” sources are
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magazines, newspapers, books, websites, Youtube, trade journals etc.,.
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written or produced for a general audience and informal in tone and scope.
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reviewed by an editor but rarely cite other sources,
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not peer reviewed
More Information:
Scholarly (peer reviewed) Sources vs Popular Sources (In depth)
Creative Commons License
This guide has been created by the Toronto Metropolitan University Library and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License unless otherwise marked.
Getting Research Help
Book an Appointment
Get lengthier and more specialized research help with our book an appointment service.
Research Skills Tutorial
Online tutorial on the research process, including how to start your research and how to search and find sources.
Research and Citation Guides
In-depth guides on research terms and techniques and citation styles.
Attend a Workshop
Workshops are scheduled throughout the term.
Visit our Research Help Desk
Visit the Research Help Desk on the main floor of the Library for help.
Article Resources
- PsycINFO (APA PsycNET) This link opens in a new windowThis database is published by the American Psychological Associations and provides comprehensive indexing and abstracts of the international psychological literature from the 1800s to the present. Documents indexed include journals, articles, books, dissertations and more. 90% of the 3,000+ titles indexed in PsycINFO are peer-reviewed.
Coverage: 1806 - current - PsycCRITIQUES This link opens in a new windowPsycCRITIQUES, a database of the American Psychological Association, ended publication in Fall 2017. The critiques are made available here in partnership with the APA. PsycCRITIQUES contains 43,056 full-text reviews of books in psychology and the social sciences, as well as professional videos and popular films from a psychological perspective. Reviews occasionally include comparative or retrospective book reviews. The database also includes all reviews published in the print journal Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books between 1956 (Volume 1, Issue 1) and 2004.
- PsycTESTS (APA PsycNET) This link opens in a new windowAPA PsycTests® database is an extensive collection of items associated with psychological measures, scales, surveys, and other instruments essential to the research needs of professionals, students, and educators across the behavioral and social sciences.
- Medline (OVID) This link opens in a new windowThe Medline database contains bibliographic citations and author abstracts for articles from over 4,300 current biomedical journals published in the United States and 70 other countries.
- Scopus This link opens in a new windowScopus offers access to more that 14,000 scholarly titles including approximately 750 conference proceedings, all journals in Medline, 400 trade publications and also approximately 500 Open Access Journals. In development for more than two years with the collaborative efforts of 300 librarians and researchers, Scopus covers the content of over 4,000 international scientific, technical, medical and social science publishers.
For information on Scopus APIs, go Elsevier website - CINAHL This link opens in a new windowThe Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health (CINAHL) database provides authoritative coverage of the literature related to nursing and allied health. Virtually all English-language publications are indexed along with the publications of the American Nurses Association and the National League for Nursing. Selected journals are also indexed in the areas of consumer health, biomedicine, and health sciences librarianship. The database also provides access to healthcare books, nursing dissertations, selected conference proceedings, standards of professional practice, educational software and audiovisual materials in nursing.
- Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) Reviews This link opens in a new windowThe Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (also known as EBM Reviews) includes the full text of the regularly updated systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare prepared by The Cochrane Collaboration. Complete reviews: Regularly updated Cochrane Reviews, prepared and maintained by Collaborative Review Groups. Protocols: Protocols for reviews currently being prepared (all include an expected date of completion). Protocols are the background, objectives and methods of reviews in preparation.
- PubMed (Medline) This link opens in a new windowPubMed comprises more than 24 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.
Find Articles (In depth Instructions)
Search Everything:
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Discovery search box (like Google for Libraries). Searches across our collections of article databases, books, and ebooks etc.,
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Use to find: books, ebooks, scholarly articles, newspaper, magazines.
Directions:
1. Search using keywords (or the title/author if you know it)
2. Refine using filters on the left of the result page.
- Content type (book, journal article, newspaper etc.,)
- Full Text online
- Peer reviewed,
- Publication date, discipline etc.,
3. Get your sources.
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Online Items Only link is for articles and ebooks
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Link will bring you to another page with the full text of the article or ebook.
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Books - Status and Location (call number)
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Status will be either Available or Due (plus the date it is due back)
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Save or Cite your results using the icons on the right side of your source.
Article Databases:
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The Library subscribes to various databases that contain collections of scholarly articles, newspapers, magazines, reports, videos,etc.
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Use to find: scholarly & peer reviewed articles, newspapers, magazines, corporate reports, trade magazines, online videos and images.
For more information see:
Directions (Locating Databases):
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Locate the Research Databases tab on the Library’s homepage
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Pick your subject area or “multi-disciplinary” etc.,
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Choose from a list of databases in your subject area
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You will have to search more than one database – different databases contain different articles on your topic
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Directions (Searching within Databases)
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Search using keywords
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Use the menu options to refine your results*
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Peer Reviewed, date range, etc.,
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Use the save or cite options*
*Because each database is owned by a different company, the location of the refine options and save / cite options are in different locations on the result page for each database.
Examples:
Search ProQuest (Video)
Search EBSCO (Video)
