What are online journals?

As you begin to explore the different online resources available to you at the library, you'll notice that many articles originate from academic journals. Academic journals are a type of periodical that publishes scholarly articles, often the original research of a scholar in a specific field. When doing your own research, you'll want to learn what conversations are happening in your field to see how you can respond or complement them, and browsing through different journals is a great way to learn more about your peers! 

When you search for a journal, you will be able to see which volumes and issues Smith has access to, and where they can be found. The example to the left shows that Smith has access to the Journal of Modern Literature, with different providers having different time periods available. At the bottom you will notice some journals will have a time delay, where the most recent issues may not be available for a certain amount of time. If this is the case, either use a provider that has the most recent issues (like Academic Search Ultimate in this example), or feel free to request an individual article through Interlibrary Loan if there is not another provider available. 

The online journals tab is not just limited to academic journals; you can also use it to search for mainstream newspapers or magazines such as The New Yorker or The Atlantic. You can find out more about which newspapers and magazines are available to you in the Find News research guide.