Biology Research Articles: Home

This guide is based on a series of LibGuides originally created by Jillian Muller, Science Liaison Librarian, at Central Queensland University Library.

Journals, also referred to as serials or periodicals, are published on an ongoing basis (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annually). 

Journals are made up of a series of volumes:

• each volume may contain a number of issues
   
• each issue of a journal will contain a range of journal articles by different authors.  A reference for a journal article is known as a journal article citation (see the box below).

 Journal articles are an important source of scientific information because:

• most new research findings are published as journal articles 
   
• journals are published frequently and are, therefore, more current than books or encyclopedias 
   
• they can provide very detailed information on specific topics 

Journals can be published in print and electronically (the latter are sometimes known as e-journals). Some journals are published in both formats; using the Journals by Title link on the TCNJ Library Homepage, allows you to determine whether a particular journal is available at TCNJ.