Skip to Main Content

Library - Information Literacy Module: Tutorial 5: Information sources: Peer-reviewed information

Information literacy for UJ students. Start with "1 Why Information Literacy" and end with "9 Writing & Referencing"

STEP 1: Peer-reviewed information

Source Details Example Where to find?
Books
  • Thorough information
  • Well researched information
  • Primary and secondary information
  • Background and historical information
  • Bibliography of other sources
  • Information can be checked for accuracy
  • Published once and sometimes further additions
  • Format: Print or Electronic
 Title: Urban pollution and health risks

Library catalogue

 
Scholarly/Academic
Journals
  • In-depth information
  • Contains an abstract
  • Written in academic language
  • Aimed at the academic community
  • Articles written by experts in their study fields
  • Peer-reviewed
  • Charts and graphs
  • Recent research on a topic
  • Bibliographies of other sources
  • Information can be checked for accuracy
  • Credentials of author/researchers are provided
  • Published in volumes and issues
  • Available in print or in an electronic journal database
  • Journal of Library and Information Science
  • Journal of American Psychology
  • Harvard Medical Journal

Library catalogue and databases

  • Journals are available in print or can be found in databases 
  • (a collection of organised data that can be found by the click of a finger)
  • Databases are sorted by discipline. 
  • Best to start off with a multidisciplinary (different subject disciplines) database such as Ebsco. 
  • This will broaden your options when making a selection.