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Physics

Journals

The library collects most journals electronically, and there are several ways to access the publications, depending on what you want to do:

  • search within many journals simultaneously for a topic
  • find out if Xavier has access to a particular journal
  • browse the latest issue of a journal

Ways to Access Journals

Search within Journals

If you are doing research and need an article from a journal, your best bet is to search in one of our databases, being sure to limit your search to scholarly, peer-reviewed journals.

Find a Specific Journal

You can search or browse for a particular title in the library's discovery tool. 

Browse a Physics Journal

Browzine has a virtual shelf for Physics journals. You can save titles to your bookshelf to read on your computer or in the mobile app and sign up for notifications.

Some Titles Available to Xavierites

Understanding & Recognizing Journal Articles

Whether your instructor says an article from a scholarly, academic, or peer-reviewed article, they are referring to articles that undergo a specific review and publishing process. Often these articles are long and can be difficult to read, or you may struggle with knowing if something is scholarly or not.

Reading Journals

Reading a scholarly journal article can be intimidating and overwhelming. Here are some resources to help you read them with ease:

 

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

Anatomy of a Research Article Tutorial

Peer Review Traits (Gallery Box)

Example title: The convergence of racial and income disparities in health insurance coverage in the United States

Title

The title is typically specific about the article's content and uses accurate and professional language. 

list of authors showing academic and professional affiliation

Authors

There are often many authors listed in the byline along with their professional affiliation, whether it be a university, hospital, or government agency, is listed. 

abstract showing background, method, and objective of study

Abstract

Abstracts are short summaries of the article that highlight the main points. While not always given in a structure manner, they frequently include what research was done, how they did it, what they found and future implications.

example data table

Data, Tables, Charts

Summary data that was used for research is included so that other professionals are able to evaluate the data and and reach their own conclusions.

example: 19 references were used

References

References to the many works that were consulted and used are included. Most references are other scholarly works, but depending on the subject it can include things like psychological tests, data files, or government reports.

Length

Because they have so much to share, they are typically more than 10 pages long. Usually, there's at least one full page of citations, and the first page is dominated by the title and abstract. Either way, the charts, tables, and research take up a lot of room!