The library's databases have options for filtering results to include scholarly (peer-reviewed) articles. Scholarly (peer-reviewed articles) contain original research and may introduce new ideas or build on the ideas of other scholars. Keep in mind that not all articles published within scholarly journals are peer-reviewed. Some article types, such as editorials or book reviews, may show up in your results.
For more information, visit the Evaluating Sources guide.
| Scholarly Article Features |
Description |
| Purpose |
Share the latest research in a field of study. |
| Authorship |
Written by specialists, typically with a terminal degree such as a Ph.D. The authors may be affiliated with a university (such as UMass Global) or with a research organization (such as the Brookings Institute). |
| Audience |
Intended for other researchers and specialists and assumes that the reader has foundational knowledge in the field. Uses technical language. |
| Availability |
Scholarly articles can be accessed through subscription databases, typically provided by a library. Some journals may provide open access to some articles. Search engine results may display a paywall instead of the full article. |
| Layout |
May contain the following sections: abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion. May provide tables and figures to explain concepts and share results. |
| Documentation |
Includes in-text citations and a references/works cited section. |
This tutorial demonstrates how to use Library Discover Search to locate articles, particularly peer-reviewed journal articles. Library Discover Search cross-searches many of the library’s digital resources and is a great place to begin searching on most topics. To learn more about using Library Discover Search, visit the Library Discover Search guide.
Once you conduct an initial search in Library Discover Search, you can limit your results in a variety of ways, including to peer-reviewed articles.
To search for articles:
- Begin on the Library Discover Search page.
- Enter your search terms into the search boxes (as shown below).
- Click on Search.
- Login with your UMass Global username and password (the same you use for Blackboard).
- You can limit results to peer-reviewed journal articles by checking the box next to Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals under Refine Results.
Click on the image to view a larger version.
You may also choose to limit your search in other ways:
- Full Text: By clicking on the Full Text box, you will see articles that are available to download onto your device. Your search may also include articles that are not available through Library Discover Search, but can be found in other databases, on the open web, or can be requested through interlibrary loan.
- Publication Date: Select a range of dates. This is useful when you need to find recent or historical data.
Full Text Options:
As shown below, there are different full text options for viewing articles.
- An HTML version of the article provides a version of the article that displays as a webpage; the entire article is viewable, but it does not appear in its original formatting. The HTML article may include useful features such as an MP3 file of the article and language translation.
- The PDF option provides a direct scan of the original article with images and charts, including page numbers which are needed for the citation.
- The "Full Text Finder" option is visible when the full text of an article is not available in the database you are searching. When you click on that link, it will search for a copy of the article through the library’s online journal collections and provide an access link if available. If a copy of the article is not available through the UMass Global Library, you can request the article through our interlibrary loan service.
- You may also find other options for accessing full text articles. Check these sources before submitting an interlibrary loan request.
- Full text from: This means that the article is available in another database.
- Full text open access: The article is available to download from the open web for free.
- Database links: The article is available in another database.
- View record in: The article is available to download for free from another database on the open web.
Logging into library databases: You will need to know your UMass Global username and password in order to logon to most of the library’s databases. This is the same login information used for your UMass Global email account. If you have questions about your username and password, contact the UMass Global Service Desk at servicedesk@umassglobal.edu or 855-553-3007 (toll free) / 949-341-9801.
Literature reviews may be included as part of an introduction in a scholarly article or may be a standalone article. Literature reviews may also be called "review of the literature" or "research review."
The following section provides brief instructions for finding literature reviews. For more information about writing and finding literature reviews, read the Literature Reviews research guide.
To find literature reviews in the library's databases
- Type in your keywords.
- Add Literature Review OR Review of the literature to one of the search boxes.
- Use the dropdown menu next to the Literature Review search term to select Title. This will search for any appearance of the word "literature review" within the article title.
- You may also search by Subject or Abstract to get relevant results.
Click on the image to view a larger version.
Similar to finding literature reviews, you can use the words "qualitative" and "quantitative" as a keyword to find scholarly research that may use one of these research methods. Keep in mind that not all of the results will be accurate; you will still need to review the methods/methodology sections to determine what type of research method was applied.
Qualitative search example
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Quantitative search example
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The videos below explain how to find specific library resources such as Harvard Business Review. If you need help, contact a librarian.
