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Finding information

Understanding journals

A cartoon of a student reading an oversized textThere are two main types of journals:

  • trade or professional journals
  • academic or peer-reviewed journals

They are published at regular intervals (such as daily, weekly, monthly) and may be available both in print and online (eJournals). Some journal titles, especially those for art, design and architecture, are only available in print format but most of the journals the Library subscribe to are available online.

Articles are published in journals. There are usually several articles written by different authors in each issue of a journal. Journal articles tend to cover more specific topics than books.  They are also published more quickly than books and so can be a very good source of current information or research on a topic.

Useful resources:

Academic or scholarly journal articles are typically written by academics or scholars who have conducted research in their area of expertise and discuss the findings of that research. They may also discuss current issues in depth, citing other research and theory.

Articles are researched and written by experts so as to provide a means of communicating, debating or critiquing original research and expanding knowledge in all disciplines. Researchers test out new developments, focus on specific issues, problem solving or highlighting future trends.

Academic journals can also be referred to as periodicals or serials. 

Trade journals are targeted at professionals in a particular industry.  They contain the latest news, developments, updates and trends in that industry.  They don't contain scholarly research and aren't peer-reviewed.  

Academic journal articles are usually peer-reviewed, meaning that they have been reviewed and examined by other experts in the field before publication. Peer-review is used to judge whether an article and the research it is based on is of high enough quality to be published in the journal. 

Full text means you can access the whole of the article, rather than just an abstract or summary.  

By reading peer-reviewed journal articles and citing them in your assignments you can show your tutors that you have undertaken your own research to find high quality, academic information. It is also good to support the points you wish to make in your essays with evidence from peer-reviewed research. This really will help improve your marks!

Check out our referencing guide for more information.

Test your knowledge!

How to find journals

Don't forget to check out our search section to learn how to search for information from a wide range of sources.

LibKey

Get fast access to scholarly articles with LibKey Nomad

LibKey Nomad is a great tool which helps you to easily find scholarly journal articles.  When you are searching on the web, Nomad lets you know if any of the content is available from our library subscriptions or open access alternatives.  It then gives you a link so in one click you can get to the full text (where available). 

I'm ready to get started!

All you need to do is add an extension to your usual web browser*.  

  1. Go to libkeynomad.com
  2. Select your browserThe message presented after installing the extension: Library Selection Saved! Look for the Nomad button to connect to full text found at scholarly websites. Followed by a download PDF button.
  3. Follow the instructions to add the extension
  4. Under Select organisation, search and select London Metropolitan University
  5. Start searching the web and look out for the Nomad button!

*Available browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Brave, Vivaldi.

Searching the web with LibKey Nomad

When searching the web, keep an eye out for the Nomad button. There are different options you may see (for explanations of all the options see LibKey Nomad).  Download PDF or Article link will take you straight to the article.  If you're off campus you may be prompted to sign in with your usual university email and password.  

A screenshot of wikipedia citations, there is a LibKey button saying "Download PDF" beneath two of the citationsTry it out

To get an idea of how it works, go to Wikipedia and search for a topic (we've searched for Artificial Intelligence). 

Now scroll down to the citations at the end of the article- look for the Nomad buttons. 

 

 

 

 

 

Search for journal articles using DOI or PMID using LibKey.io

LibKey.io provides access to journal articles using either the digital object identifier (DOI) or PubMed Identifier (PMID). If the article is available through the Library’s subscriptions or it is Open Access you will be able to access the PDF or the article link.

If you don't know the DOI or PMID you can search for journals and journal articles using Library Search.  See Understanding journals - Finding information - LibGuides at London Metropolitan University for more guidance.

BrowZine

BrowZine is a service that allows you to browse, read and follow scholarly journals from London Met Library in a beautiful visual display.

BrowZine screen showing journals within Biomedical and Health Sciences

With BrowZine, you can:

• Browse and read journals: Browse thousands of top journals by subject, easily review tables of contents, and download full articles.

• Stay Current with My Bookshelf: Create a personal bookshelf of titles to follow and receive new article notifications.

• Access on any device: Easily access BrowZine from your iOS and Android device and on the web to stay up to date wherever you are.

• Save and export articles: Use the BrowZine app to save articles for off-line reading or export to services such as Zotero.

Try it now! Use the search box below or browse the full collection at London Metropolitan University — BrowZine.  If you want the app, search for BrowZine on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store or Amazon App Store.  

 

Search e-journals