MHC Library Guides: Child and Youth Care Counsellor: Scholarly Articles

Scholarly Sources

Most research papers require the use of scholarly (academic) journal articles.

A scholarly journal article:

is written by an identifiable author(s) with appropriate credentials (the author is an expert in the field)
includes a reference list/bibliography/works cited page
provides an in-depth treatment of the topic (at least 5-7 pages long, up to 20+ pages)
is academic and aimed at researchers (not the general public)
does not usually include photos or advertising
may be identified in library databases as "scholarly", "peer-reviewed", or "research articles"

Magazines, newspapers, and reference-type websites such as Wikipedia are not considered scholarly.

Most library databases include a search feature to limit results to "Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed" articles.

Most databases include an option to restrict your search to only peer-reviewed/scholarly articles. Be sure to locate and activate this option.

SocINDEX with Full Text
Provides scholarly articles covering gender studies, criminal justice, social psychology, religion, racial studies and social work. Coverage dates back to 1908 until present. Database features author profiles, showing the most cited, and most frequently searched.
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Offers particularly strong coverage in child and adolescent psychology and various areas of counseling. Subject coverage also includes anthropology, mental processes, observational-experimental methods, and more.
Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text
"Covers a wide range of criminal justice topics including criminology, corrections and prisons, forensic sciences, probation and parole. Coverage dates back to 1968."

Multidisciplinary databases may also contain articles related to sociology. Some specific databases to try include:

Academic Search Complete
Provides scholarly articles covering nearly every academic field including anthropology, engineering, law, sciences and more. Features news video content, with footage from 1930s to the present. Updated monthly.
Project MUSE
A multidisciplinary database that provides access to scholarly content in the humanities and science. Subject coverage includes ethnic studies, art and architecture, creative writing, film, history, education, science, technology, mathematics, and more. Features the journal Shakespeare Quarterly.

The full list of library databases can be found here.