Q. Why is information found in journal articles preferred for research purposes?

Articles from journals are preferred for research purposes because they are generally written by scholars in a particular field. Unlike magazines or newspapers, where journalists are being paid to write articles, or opinion based pieces, journals are often based on original research being done by professionals.

You can be sure that if you are searching within peer-reviewed journals that the articles should be some of the best research out there. This is because peer-reviewed journals are edited by boards that consist of professionals from the field for which the journal is written (for example the New England Journal of Medicine is edited by physicians and other medial professionals.) This editorial board reads and only agrees to publish the best submissions to the journal. If the submission seems questionable or does not further the advancement of the particular discipline it will not be published. You can therefore be quite certain that you're dealing with good solid information!

For more information try our Understanding Journals guide: http://libguides.umflint.edu/UnderstandingJournals.