This guide was created for the library workshop for students in Chris Giles' CRIM 1101 class in summer 2019. The APA Citation section was updated in fall 2023.
APA citation for this video:
University of Washington Libraries. (2016). Research 101: Format matters [Video]. https://youtu.be/Zss-ya_QVZQ
Peer-reviewed journals are often called scholarly or academic journals. They are different from popular magazines. Articles in peer-reviewed journals:
APA citation for video:
North Carolina State University Libraries. (2014). Peer review in 3 minutes [Video]. https://youtu.be/rOCQZ7QnoN0
DO NOT rely on the 'peer-reviewed' checkbox in a database to be completely accurate! Why not? It is only a rough filter that tells you whether a journal includes some peer-reviewed articles. Most peer-reviewed journals include a mixture of different kinds of articles, including short pieces such as book reviews and editorials. These short pieces do NOT go through the same peer-review process as the rest of the articles in the journal, but they will still be included in the peer-reviewed results by a database. Always look at the article for the typical features of a scholarly article such as an abstract and extensive in-text citations. |
Once researchers complete an empirical study, they will usually (try to) publish their findings in a peer-reviewed journal. These are often called primary or original research articles because they are the first-publication of new research findings and are written by the researchers themselves. They may also be called empirical articles.
Secondary sources of information describe, explain, interpret or summarize primary sources. These include encyclopedias, book reviews, commentaries, literature reviews, and any books or journal articles that simply discuss the original (previously-published) work of others. Although these can be very helpful sources for identifying primary research articles, they are not primary studies themselves.
APA citation for this YouTube video:
Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries. (2011). Identifying scholarly article types [Video].
https://youtu.be/uEsAKqXSfbY
A primary (original) research article will usually be divided into several parts:
The names of the parts may vary, but a primary research article will always include a methodology section explaining how the research was conducted (i.e. what type of empirical method was used). Most secondary journal articles do not include a methods section.
Primary research articles can be intimidating. How can you tell if an article is going to be useful for your assignment? You don't have to read the whole article to find out. I would suggest reading specific sections of article in this order:
APA citation for this video:
Pitt Community College Library. (2016). How to read a scholarly article [Video]. https://youtu.be/c3tV8g70YuU
Please don't answer Question 2 until we have discussed peer-reviewed journals in the workshop.
Please don't answer Question 3 until we have discussed primary research articles in the workshop.
Use the Summon search tool to search almost all of the library's resources at one time!
A quick introduction to resources available from the KPU Library's homepage including: Summon search, the library catalogue, research databases, journal title search, subject guides, the Research Help guide, and citation guides. Also highlights how to find library hours, book study rooms and get help from a librarian.
In addition to searching in Summon for newspaper articles, try this research database:
Summon is a great place to start a search, but you can build more precise searches in research databases.
Each database covers a different collection of sources, so you will probably want to search in more than one. Here are a few recommended databases:
Citing your sources properly shows that you have done your research and consulted appropriate sources for your topic. It also acknowledges that all research builds on work that has come before. You are giving credit to sources that have influenced or informed your work. If you do not do this, you are essentially stealing another person's ideas, which is called plagiarism.
Whenever you use another person's ideas (even if you put this into your own words), you must give them credit. You do this by CITING the source you used in two places:
Incorrect version produced by Canadian Newsstream's citation generator, with errors highlighted
Corrected version of citation:
Video credit: Western Sydney University Library. (2020). APA style, 7th edition: Referencing an online journal article [Video]. https://youtu.be/Ntxyx2WhEHU
Incorrect
David, J.-D., & Mitchell, M. (2021). Contacts with the Police and the Over-Representation of Indigenous Peoples in The Canadian Criminal Justice System. Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice, 63(2), 23–45. https://doi-org.ezproxy.kpu.ca:2443/10.3138/cjccj.2020-0004
Correct
David, J.-D., & Mitchell, M. (2021). Contacts with the police and the over-representation of Indigenous peoples in the Canadian criminal justice system. Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice, 63(2), 23–45. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjccj.2020-0004
Notes:
Most library research databases have built-in citation generators. These are handy tools to create a rough citation, but you ALWAYS need to double-check them. Here is an example from Summon:
Incorrect
David, J.-D., & Mitchell, M. (2021). Contacts with the Police and the Over-Representation of Indigenous Peoples in The Canadian Criminal Justice System. Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice, 63(2), 23–45. https://doi-org.ezproxy.kpu.ca:2443/10.3138/cjccj.2020-0004
Correct
David, J.-D., & Mitchell, M. (2021). Contacts with the police and the over-representation of Indigenous peoples in the Canadian criminal justice system. Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice, 63(2), 23–45. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjccj.2020-0004