Popular, Scholarly: How Does Peer Review Fit In?

William Schwenck Gilbert [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Popular Magazines

General interest or popular magazines do not undergo peer review. They usually have an attractive format with photos and illustrations.Articles in popular magazines rarely have a reference page. They are frequently written for a general audience by a staff or freelance writer. The language is simple and easy to understand. The purpose of these publications is to provide general information, to entertain, and sometimes to sell products. They are published by commercial enterprises for profit. Use popular magazines if you only require general information about a topic. Do not expect to find substantial detail or in-depth analysis.

Scholarly Journals

Scholarly journals are often referred to as peer reviewed or refereed journals. They contain articles that have undergone a review process by selected experts in the field before being accepted for publication. Think of this as similar to being judged by a jury of their peers. They have a serious format and usually have charts and graphs to illustrate concepts. All of the sources are cited with footnotes and/or a bibliography. Scholars or researchers in a specific discipline or field write the articles. The material uses the terminology and language of the discipline, and the reader is expected to have a similar background. The purpose of these journals is to report or make research available to the scholarly world. Many of these journals are published by a professional organization. Use scholarly journals if you need verifiable and highly credible information. Scholarly journals often feature primary research with detailed analysis.

Examples of Different Types of Periodicals:

General or Popular Magazines	Scholarly Journals
Newsweek	New England Journal of Medicine
Time	American Journal of Sociology
Fortune	Shakespeare Quarterly
Psychology Today	Journal of Counseling Psychology
The New Yorker	Intervirology
Atlantic Monthly	Academy of Management Review

 

Publication Process for Peer Reviewed Journals

This is a simplified diagram of how articles are reviewed for publication in a scholarly periodical. The publication process may not always follow the steps below.

1 Author writes article and submits it to a journal.
2. Editor of journal forwards the article to a panel of experts for further review. Panel may accept the article for publication, suggest revisions, or reject it.
3. Author makes suggested revisions, and article is published.
This process can take from 30 days to well over a year.

Just remember, when you need quality information, peer review is a great place to start.

Welcome to Summer I!

By Steven Fruitsmaak (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

The Roman playwright Plautus is quoted as saying, “You must spend money to make money.” While this can be true in the business world, in the world of time management, it is especially true in education where the currency is time. Students need to be willing to spend time to make time. As you begin the Fall II session, here is a tip to be more productive. Just remember. On a trip through the desert, a camel can be your best friend. As you start this session, don’t forget your CAMEL:
Checklists Always Make Everything Logical

Taking the time to make a checklist for what you want to accomplish each day and each week can save time and stress over the next 8 weeks. Make sure that your checklists are specific and not vague. For example, don’t just say that you’re going to study between 5pm and 6pm on Tuesday. Instead, set a goal. On Tuesday, between 5pm and 6pm, I will read 15 pages from my Organizational Leadership text. Don’t just list research on your checklist. Instead, set the goal of finding two peer-reviewed, scholarly articles to use in your upcoming research paper. Sure, it takes a bit of time to complete a checklist, but the feeling you get when you can cross off a task is priceless, and you can keep your stress level in check. In the end, you will save time.

May you and your CAMEL have a lovely Summer I session.

Finding Articles with Discover!

Huzzah! You made it through the second week of this term (almost). Now, it’s already time to think about the Signature Assignment. Perhaps, you are writing a paper on a literary topic and need to search for literary criticism. Perhaps, you are required to use at least 5 recent sources. Perhaps, the references must come from peer reviewed journals. So you might be asking yourself, “How do I start my research?”

Finding Articles Video Tutorial

Not to worry. Discover! search has come to rescue! The Discover! search platform is a single interface to locate books, articles, and more on your topic since it cross-searches the library’s catalog as well as the majority of the library’s online databases (for articles). You can limit your results by material type for peer-reviewed journal articles, by a specific publication date range, and more! Watch the video to learn how to use the Discover! search as a starting point for locating research articles.

If you’d like to receive a walk-through of using Discover! or just need some assistance conducting in-depth research, visit Ask a Librarian. We’re here to help.

Friday the 13th- The Sequel

Some appropriate reading material.

Happy Friday the 13th! We are now on our second Friday the 13th of 2015 (and we still have one more, in November). Congratulations on completing your first week of Spring II students! It might be a good idea to take a break from all your hard work and relax…but maybe don’t do that in an isolated cabin in the middle of the woods. Have a great Friday filled with lots of GOOD luck!

Answers To The Most Frequently Asked Questions

By Dwight Sipler from Stow, MA, USA [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

With only eight, short weeks to complete your assignments, we know that you need your resources as soon as possible, but sometimes, you need a little help figuring out how everything works. You need to be able to log on to the Leatherby Libraries website http://www.chapman.edu/library and access the databases from home. You also need to be able to request items to be sent to your home. When we receive requests, we make every effort to process them within 24 hours. Depending upon whether or not we own the item requested, it could be fulfilled within 1 day for Leatherby Libraries items, 3-4 for electronic journal articles not owned by the Leatherby Libraries, or 2-3 weeks for books not owned by the Leatherby Libraries. These turnaround times do not include weekends or holidays.

Since we want you to receive your research materials in a timely manner, we want your requests to go smoothly. Here are some of the common issues that arise and the solutions that can have you receiving your materials in time for that big paper.

Problem: I cannot log in
Logging into the databases doesn’t have to be a test of your patience if you remember these simple tips:
• Your username is the portion of your Brandman email address up to the @ symbol. For example, my email address is lrosen@chapman.edu, but my username is simply lrosen.
• Your password is the same one that you use to access your Brandman Blackboard portal.
• Do not try to start by logging in at My Library Account. My Library Account will only tell you what items you have checked out and when they are due. Trust us. The site will let you know when you need to log on by popping up a logon screen.

Problem: My set-up for an ILLiad (interlibrary loan) account was rejected
Many of the issues that we encounter with the set-up of ILLiad accounts can be solved by remembering these guidelines:
• Your username should be the portion of your email address up to the @ symbol. For example, my email address is lrosen@chapman.edu, but my username is just lrosen.
• You MUST use your Brandman username, so do not make-up one for your account. Save twilightsparkle or raidersfan for later.
• You MUST provide your Brandman email address. If the email in your ILLiad account request is not your Brandman email, the request is cancelled.

Problem: My ILLiad request was cancelled
Occasionally, you may submit a request through ILLiad and receive a cancellation notification email. Do not despair. Please read the email, and you may find out that:
• The article or book that you requested is available electronically through the Leatherby Libraries. We’ll even tell you which database it’s located in.
• The article or book that you requested is available electronically through an internet search engine such as Google. We’ll even provide you the link, so you can access it even faster.
• You did not supply enough information about the book or article that you need. For books, please supply the title and author(s). For articles, make use of the Request through interlibrary loan feature in our databases. The information will automatically populate for you.

We realize that, even if you have done everything correctly, there may still be a snag. Please make use of your Brandman librarians, Lugene Rosen lrosen@chapman.edu (714) 532-7736 or (800) 344-5756 ext. 2 or Wenling Tseng tseng@chapman.edu (714) 532-7720, or our wonderful Brandman Library Assistant, Kerry Ortloff ortloff@chapman.edu (714) 532-7718 or (800) 344-5756 ext. 1. Our goal is to make your access to the resources that you need as quick and painless as possible. Let us help you make your student life easier and less stressful.

Just Browsing — Which Browser Works Best?

By Wilson Afonso from Sydney, Australia (Just browsing Uploaded by JohnnyMrNinja) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

As we move forward with the Spring I session, we have been getting some frantic emails and calls from students who are unable to logon to the library databases remotely. One of the simplest fixes for this problem is to try a different browser. In general, our databases perform best in Chrome or Firefox, so if you are using Internet Explorer (IE), gaining access could be as simple as switching browsers. Another quick fix is to check your pop-up settings. Since many requests in our library website will prompt a pop-up, allowing them in our website can make for a better experience. Finally, just clearing your cache can enhance your library usage.

Once again, a quick way to troubleshoot logon issues is to follow these steps:

1. Switch browsers
2. Allow pop-ups
3. Clear your cache

If you have tried these fixes, please contact us. We will get to the bottom of the issue and make sure that you have a wonderful time using our library. We will all be smiling!

By Yumi Kimura from Yokohama, JAPAN (so happy smiling cat) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Answers To The Most Common Questions Asked Of The Brandman Library Assistant

With only eight, short weeks to complete your assignments, we know that you need your resources as soon as possible. You need to be able to log on to the Leatherby Libraries website http://www.chapman.edu/library and access the databases from home. You also need to be able to request items to be sent to your home. When we receive requests, we make every effort to process them within 24 hours. Depending upon whether or not we own the item requested, it could be fulfilled within 1 day for Leatherby Libraries items, 3-4 for electronic journal articles not owned by the Leatherby Libraries, or 2-3 weeks for books not owned by the Leatherby Libraries. These turnaround times do not include weekends or holidays.

Since we want you to receive your research materials in a timely manner, we want your requests to go smoothly. Here are some of the common issues that arise and the solutions that can have you receiving your materials in time for that big paper.

Problem: I cannot log in
Logging into the databases doesn’t have to be a test of your patience if you remember these simple tips:
• Your username is the portion of your Brandman email address up to the @ symbol. For example, my email address is lrosen@chapman.edu, but my username is simply lrosen.
• Your password is the same one that you use to access your Brandman Blackboard portal.
• Do not try to start by logging in at My Library Account. My Library Account will only tell you what items you have checked out and when they are due. Trust us. The site will let you know when you need to log on by popping up a logon screen.

Problem: My set-up for an ILLiad (interlibrary loan) account was rejected
Many of the issues that we encounter with the set-up of ILLiad accounts can be solved by remembering these guidelines:
• Your username should be the portion of your email address up to the @ symbol. For example, my email address is lrosen@chapman.edu, but my username is just lrosen.
• You MUST use your Brandman username, so do not make-up one for your account. Save twilightsparkle or raidersfan for later.
• You MUST provide your Brandman email address. If the email in your ILLiad account request is not your Brandman email, the request is cancelled.

Problem: My ILLiad request was cancelled
Occasionally, you may submit a request through ILLiad and receive a cancellation notification email. Do not despair. Please read the email, and you may find out that:
• The article or book that you requested is available electronically through the Leatherby Libraries. We’ll even tell you which database it’s located in.
• The article or book that you requested is available electronically through an internet search engine such as Google. We’ll even provide you the link, so you can access it even faster.
• You did not supply enough information about the book or article that you need. For books, please supply the title and author(s). For articles, make use of the Request through interlibrary loan feature in our databases. The information will automatically populate for you.

We realize that, even if you have done everything correctly, there may still be a snag. Please make use of your Brandman librarians, Lugene Rosen lrosen@chapman.edu (714) 532-7736 or (800) 344-5756 ext. 2 or Wenling Tseng tseng@chapman.edu (714) 532-7720, or our wonderful Brandman Library Assistant, Kerry Ortloff ortloff@chapman.edu (714) 532-7718 or (800) 344-5756 ext. 1. Our goal is to make your access to the resources that you need as quick and painless as possible. Let us help you make your student life easier and less stressful.

Citation: Take Our Guides Out For A Spin

Picture of the Chevrolet Citation By Uniquesweetguy at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

As we near the end of the session, many of you will have a final project due that needs to be written in a certain citation format, usually APA or MLA. Did you know that we have links to guides that can help you? To find the guides, simply begin at the Leatherby Libraries homepage. On the right side of the screen under the word Research, select Citation / Style Guides to see a list of the citation guides that we have to offer. Once you are on the page, there are two extremely helpful guides that you can find under the heading General Style Guide Sites.

My first citation guide recommendation is Research and Documentation Online, 5th Edition. Based on Diana Hacker’s style guide, it offers citation guidelines and examples for APA, MLA, Chicago, and CSE. This site has easy-to-use dropdown menus to help you cite with confidence. My second citation guide recommendation is the Long Island University Citation Style for Research Papers site. Created by Robert Delany, this citation guide covers APA, MLA, Turabian, Chicago, and AMA. It includes citations guidelines, but it also offers the added bonus of using color-coding to make it easier to see the individual components. And the examples are all about Star Trek.

You can also contact your Brandman librarians for citation assistance. In the meantime, why not take the Citation out for a spin?

Library Hours for Thanksgiving Holiday Reminder

By Sun Ladder (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Just a reminder. The Leatherby Libraries will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday and Friday, November 27 and 28. Your Brandman staff will be enjoying the holiday, as well. We will be off from 3:00pm PST on Wednesday, November 26, until Monday morning, December 1, at 7:30am PST. If you need research assistance over the weekend, you can contact the Reference Desk at libweb@chapman.edu or (800) 344-5756 Ext. 3 (Saturday & Sunday, 12-5pm).

Happy Turkey Day!

Something To Think About — Linton Weeks

By dospaz from Dayton, United States of America (Water Baby Uploaded by SchuminWeb) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

In the nonstop tsunami of global information, librarians provide us with floaties and teach us to swim.
–Linton Weeks, journalist