SHE3001 Social Bases of Health: Databases & Journals

What are academic journal articles?

  • Academic journals are regular publications that contain articles on current research.
  • Authors outline their research and present their findings and conclusions.
  • You can access a wide range of different journals according to the subject area and academic quality. Articles on similar topics are published together in journals, which can also be known as periodicals.
  • Academic journals provide good quality research articles. Usually, the articles contained within academic journals have been peer-reviewed.

How do we access academic journal articles?

  • The library subscribes to print copies of journals and puts them onto the library shelves.
  • The library subscribes to online databases which are collections of journals packaged together by topic. These databases can be searched using keywords, author names and subjects.
  • A search in the ‘Library Search’ accesses many journal articles in the databases.

What is peer review?

When an article is published in a peer-reviewed or refereed journal, it indicates that that article has been through a formal review process. It has been read by experts in the subject field before being accepted for publication. This ensures the information in the article is well-researched, and contributes to the knowledge of the subject area.

Scholarly or Academic Journal and Databases from Victoria University Library on Vimeo.

How to find peer-reviewed journal articles through Library Search

How to find a journal article using Library Search from Victoria University Library on Vimeo.

How to find a peer-reviewed journal article on a library database

Searching for journal articles in SportDiscus database from Victoria University Library on Vimeo.

Rather than searching ALL the library resources you can choose to search in ONE of the databases. Remember to limit your search results to peer-reviewed (or refereed) articles.

Having trouble finding information about different qualitative and quantitative methodologies? Sage Research Methods Online: SRMO is the answer! From first year students up to PhD level and beyond SRMO explains the different research methodologies and provides articles and book chapters about their implementation. Find SRMO under 'S' on the Library databases page or click here: SRMO.

Current (and sometimes local) information but not peer reviewed

Australia & New Zealand Newsstream - ANZ Newsstream contains articles from Australian and New Zealand national and regional newspapers. The coverage begins in 1996. 
International Newsstream - Search full-text international and Australian news content from newspapers, newswires, and news sites.
The Conversation - contains news and views from academic and research communities.

Alexander Street Counseling & Therapy - the library subscribes to several streaming video databases where you can find real-life examples and interviews of responses to health issues. Here is an example of a video collection available through the Alexander Street Counseling & Therapy database - Counseling & Therapy.
Kanopy - streaming video database where you can find health and fitness related videos . Here are 2 examples - Everyday Health and Medicine & Mental Health