This guide provides resources that may be helpful to Social Work classes.
Browse an alphabetical list of subject-related journals available through Park University Library.
Peer-reviewed journals (often called "scholarly" or "academic" journals) contain original research articles. These journals publish research that has been reviewed by other scholars in the field - the authors' academic peers. These reviewers work to ensure the integrity and quality of the research being reported upon.
Empirical articles are based on experimentation or observation. In other words, they describe the results of research. Peer-reviewed articles are usually describing empirical research.
Peer-reviewed articles may describe either qualitative or quantitative research.
Qualitative research tries to understand who, what, how, when, and why. It explores the nature of something. Typical approaches include observation, interviews, and focus groups.
Quantitative research describes how much or how often. It relies on statistics and variables to prove or disprove something.
Here's a short video describing the difference.
Peer-reviewed journal articles -- like this example from Pirate Search -- are typically 10-40 pages in length and share many or all of these qualities:
Some peer-reviewed journals will publish literature reviews, book reviews, and opinion essays. These should not be confused for original research articles! If you're unsure whether you've found an original research article, please contact a librarian for assistance!
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