PUBH 3331 Planning Community Health

The easiest way to find journals is through the Baylor University Library website. Select "Journals" from the buttons above the search box, then select "Browse selected/academic journals by subject" which will appear below the search box. 

Once you do this, you will be taken to a resource called "Browzine," which will allow you to search through journals by subject. You can even browse for journals within sub-topic, such as "Community Health and Preventative Medicine." 

Article Evaluation 

If you are having trouble determining whether a title is scholarly or popular, try search Ulrichsweb-Global Serials Dictionary. You can search for the title, and then check the "Content Type" field. 

Questions to ask: 

• Who is the author and what are their credentials in this area?
• Does the author cite their sources?
• When was the study published and who was it published by? 
• Is this study peer-reviewed?
• Are the facts presented in the study accurate?
• Do the author(s) clearly explain their methods?

Learning how to evaluate a scholarly work in your field takes time, but in general, a reputable source will be transparent in its methodologies, cite factual information, and clearly state any potential biases and inconclusive evidence. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you are unsure!  

Journal Evaluation 

Evaluating journal reputability is not always easy. 

Be suspicious if:

• You encountered the journal through a generic e-mail message that is soliciting contributions.
• The journal or publisher is listed on Beall’s web site (http://scholarlyoa.com/).  
• The journal is from a publisher that is a not a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (http://www.oaspa.org/members.php).
• The publisher is asking for payment of a fee early in the process, even before the article goes through peer review.
• A check of the domain on “Whois” (http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp) yields information that seems significantly different from the publisher’s “About Us” or “Contact Us” information on their web site.
• If there is no easily identifiable editorial board, and if there is an editorial board, contact some of the people listed regarding their participation with the journal.  Even if they are well-known in the field, contact them.
• The journal isn’t indexed in Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com) or listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (http://doaj.org).
• The journal isn’t indexed in any traditional databases, like Web of Science, Scopus, or databases specific to the subject area.

Last, don’t hesitate to contact your department’s library consultant (http://www.baylor.edu/lib/resourcemgmt/consultants) for assistance.