Academic journal articles are one way you can find in-depth analysis on particular issues, they have usually been peer-reviewed, which means that it's been reviewed by experts on its topic for accuracy and quality before being published.
There are different types of academic journal articles, such as research articles and review articles. Have a look at this video below to find out the difference between these two types of articles.
Basically, research articles present original research results and discoveries. They are often divided into the following sections:
Abstract
Introduction
Method
Results
Discussion & Conclusion
In general, research articles are very specific and can be hard to understand. You will probably need other literature to help you understand them, like review articles, books, and encyclopaedias.
Review articles are known as secondary sources. They’re often literature reviews, and they synthesise or analyse research that has already been conducted. They generally summarise the current state of research on a given topic, and are a very good source to look for if you are new to a research area.
You can find some journal articles by using the Library catalogue, but we recommend you look in a discipline specific database listed in the Home page. Please watch the video tutorials below about how to search in databases, the Plan Your Search page has more information about building a search strategy. You can also access these databases by clicking the link underneath the videos below.
if you can't find what you are looking for in one of these databases, have a look at our full list of environmental science databases on the library website.
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