Understanding, using and referencing journal articles

1. Understanding, using and referencing journal articles Charlie Brampton Academic Liaison Librarian for Geography c.brampton@brookes.ac.uk @brookeslibrary

2. overview Why are journals so useful in geography? Where is the most useful information in a journal article? How are journals organised? How do I find journal articles? How do I tell that something found online is or isn’t a journal article? How do I reference articles in my work? How do I reference articles in my bibliographies? How do I get help or find out more?

3. Why are journals so useful? Journal issues are published throughout the year. This means you can use journals to access very recent and current information. Journal articles are often focused on more precise subjects than books, because they are shorter. Good-quality journal articles are peer-reviewed before publication. This means the research is more reliable than most other material found online.

4. Finding useful information in a journal article Conclusion Abstract Introduction Reference list

5. How a journal is structured • Journals can be in print and/or online • Typically, there is one volume per year • Each volume consists of a number of issues, released regularly throughout the year • Page numbersshow where in the volume each paper is • Some online journals use DOIsas a way of uniquely identifying articles Photo by Sheena N.B.H. used under a Creative Commons licence: https://flic.kr/p/aBpXhY

6. How a journal is structured One volume per year. Each volume is made up of issues Jasor, O.M. (2016) ‘Do local needs matter?: the relevance of women’s NGOs in sub-Saharan Africa’, Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, 23(5) , pp. 694-713 This article is in issue 5 of volume 23

7. Different ways of finding articles Discover Reading lists Databases Google Scholar Browsing journals

8. “I found it online. What is it?!” When it comes to referencing you need to know what sort of resource you have in front of you. If you accessed a journal article online, it’s a journal article not a webpage. If you’re not sure if it’s a journal article, look for clues. Does it have a DOI? A volume number? Page numbers? If it’s in PDF format, the information may be in the header and the footer of the first page. If you’ve found something online and you can’t work out what is or where it came from, ask yourself if you should really be using it. Is it good-quality research?

9. Referencing articles: in-text Such prosperous, mobile citizens could be considered a ‘transnational management elite’ (Beaverstock, 2005, p.250) In contrast, in the view of Massey and Jess (1995, p.88), ‘places are significant because they are the focus of personal feelings’.

10. Referencing articles: bibliography Judkins, G., Smith, M. & Keys, E. (2008) ‘Determinism within human–environment research and the rediscovery of environmental causation’, The Geographical Journal 174 (1), pp.17-29. Kelly, R.L. (1992) ‘Mobility/sedentism: concepts, archaeological measures, and effects’, Annual Review of Anthropology, 21, pp.43-66. Marshall, Y. (2006) ‘Adopting a sedentary lifeway’, World Archaeology, 38(2), pp.153-163. Williams, J. (2000) ‘Tools for achieving sustainable housing strategies in rural Gloucestershire’, Planning Practice & Research, 15(3), pp.155-174. doi: 10.1080/02697450020000131

11. Getting help and finding out more Library research guide 2: “Citing your references using the Harvard (Author-Date) system”. This is available in print from the library help zone or from the library website. Cite Them Right (available via the library website) Remember, you can always book a 1:1 with your Academic Liaison Librarian, Charlie Brampton, if you’re confused by referencing or by finding and using journal articles.