Articles - ENG101 - First-Year Composition - LibGuides at Paradise Valley Community College

Use OneSearch to Search for Articles

Use OneSearch to search for library resources like articles, books, movies, and more!

How to Identify Scholarly & Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

What is a Scholarly Journal Article? - The University of Guelph

Types of Article Databases

Find articles in the library databases. The PVCC Library pays to have access to these databases and the newspaper, magazine, and journal articles they contain. PVCC MEID & password required for access.

Type of Database	Type of Articles Provided	Start Here
Multidisciplinary	Provides popular and scholarly articles on all topics. Useful if you don't know where to start. Great for assignments where you may only need a few sources. For example: Academic Search Premier Academic OneFile ProQuest Central	A-Z Databases: General / Multidisciplinary
Subject Specific	Provides scholarly and specialized articles from a specific discipline. To choose a subject-specific database use the "All Subjects" dropdown menu on the A-Z databases page to find a subject. For example: Business Education Health & Nutrition Sciences	A-Z Databases: All Subjects
Format Specific	Provides format specific articles like newspaper articles. To choose a format-specific database use the "All Database Types" dropdown menu on the A-Z databases page to find a database type. For example: ebooks Evidence-Based News/Newspapers Primary Sources	A-Z Databases: All Database Types
Background Information	Use these databases instead of Wikipedia for background information. To find an Encyclopedia database use the "All Database Types" dropdown menu on the A-Z databases page and select "Encyclopedias & Dictionaries". For example: Gale EBOOKS (was Gale Virtual Reference Library) Credo Reference	A-Z Databases: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
Pro/Con	Use these databases to explore controversial topics and find articles for your argumentative paper. To find a Pro/Con database use the "All Subjects" dropdown menu on the A-Z databases page and select "Hot Topics (Pro/Con)". For example: Opposing Viewpoints (Gale in Context) Issues & Controversies CQ Researcher	A-Z Databases: Hot Topics (Pro/Con)

Academic vs. Trade Journal Articles

Is a trade journal article an academic article?

Not quite! While both academic articles and trade journal articles are written for professional audiences, there are key differences:

Academic Articles – These are published in scholarly journals and typically undergo peer review. They present original research, theories, or extensive analysis, often written by experts or researchers in the field. They follow strict citation and formatting guidelines and aim to contribute to academic knowledge.
Trade Journal Articles – These appear in industry-specific publications aimed at professionals. They focus on trends, best practices, or industry news rather than original research. While written by experts, they are less formal and do not usually go through peer review.

If you need a source for academic research, peer-reviewed articles are best. But if you're looking for industry insights, trade journals can be valuable.

When to Use Trade Journals

Trade journals usually have a review process like an editorial board but are not considered to be "peer reviewed" journals.

When to use Trade Journals:

to find current information and news on products and trends within a specific trade or industry
to learn more about the field from practitioners within that industry

In ProQuest Databases

Before you search: click Publications above search bar, select "Trade Journals" in the drop down
Type in your search terms and click search
After you search: under Source type click More> to locate "Trade Journals" and/or exclude other results