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Psychology

Psychology Databases

What is an article database?

Library article databases are indexes that allow users to search for articles from various publications and/or periodicals (journals, newspapers, or magazines).

The description of an article found in a database commonly consists of 3 main parts: 

  • Citation - gives the publication information for the article or book chapter including author, title, periodical name, issue, date, and pages numbers.
  • Abstract - A brief summary of an article or book.
  • Full-text – when available, the complete copy of the article.

What is Peer-Reviewed?

Scholarly journals published by professional associations or a university press will have a panel of scholars who evaluate articles submitted for publication. In other words, these editorial panels are comprised of the author's peers.

If an article is approved for publication the panel has agreed that the article will advance the thinking within the discipline. Thus, articles accepted for publication would then be considered peer reviewed.