Evaluating Journal Articles

Evaluating the information you found for your research is extremely important. Just because something is in print does not mean that is is reliable or true.

Here are some suggested guidelines for evaluating a journal article:

Purpose of Article: Why was the article written? Was it to:

• Inform about an event,  the results of an experiment or research study?
• Persuade the reader to change an opinion or belief? To prove or disprove something?
• Provide an overview of a topic or a comprehensive study, such as a literature review?

Author: Can you find out more about the author? What is his/her background? Is the author considered an expert in this field? What other works has he/she written? Has he/she won awards or honors?

Type of Journal: What kind of journal or magazine is it? Is it

• Scholarly? Scholarly journals publish articles which have first been reviewed by experts in the field. Check to see if there is a editorial board listed and who is on it. See if there is a editorial policy. What are the criteria for getting published by this journal or magazine?
• Trade magazines, published by an association or professional organization, are written for members f the profession or field. Check for editorial policies and publishing criteria.
• Popular magazines, such as Time and Newsweek, are not usually considered scholarly. Again, check for editorial policies and publishing criteria.

Bias (of the publisher): Some publications have an inherent bias that will impact articles printed in them. Is the journal:

• left/liberal?
• right/conservative?
• an alternative press?
• published by a organization with a political agenda?

Date of Article: When was the article published? Was the article published a short or long time after the event or the research took place? Can you tell?

Bibliography: Scholarly articles should always contain a bibliography.

• Look at the length of the bibliography. Did the author only consult a few sources or does the bibliography appear to be a relatively comprehensive list?
• Look at the types of resources that are listed in the bibliography. Did the author consult primary sources, secondary resources or a combination of both.
• Look at the dates of the works listed in the bibliography. Did the author use the latest information available? Are the resources used much older than the book itself? Do the materials used represent a comprehensive overview of the published works?

Illustrations: Are there charts, graphs, maps, photographs, etc. used to illustrate concepts? Are the illustrations relevant to the text/topic? Remember that scholarly journal articles generally do not have many illustrations (depending on the topic).

Audience: Who is the intended audience of this journal? Is the level of the article appropriate for your needs? Is the article written for:

• General audience? Articles written for a general audience often use a simpler vocabulary and try to define or avoid subject specific terms or phrases.
• Members of the profession or experts in the field?
• Researchers or scholars? Often if an article is written for other professionals, the article will use terms and language special to the subject area.

Last Updated: 04/09/2004