Health Care Management

Journals publish academic information that is timely and leads to further research.  They are shorter than books and published more frequently.  Most journals contain articles that examine research that was performed and relay its findings.  Use them to find proof of theories that have been tested or specific ways to improve or expand on foundational knowledge.

All health publications are not all the same. Some are designed for the general public and others are written for health science researchers.  You will be expected to know the difference and be familiar with the kinds of information contained in each type of publication.  The majority of your research assignments will require using peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles.

Some terms to understand:

• Periodical is a term that encompasses both magazines and journals.
• Magazine refers to a popular or trade publication.
• Journal is used for periodicals that publish scholarly content.
  • Peer-reviewed articles provide the highest quality control standard since articles are scrutinized by experts in the field before being published.
  • Editor-reviewed articles have more limited review and do not meet the same gold standard of quality.
  • Research articles have undergone peer-review and present the results of rigorous research studies. This work is seen as contributing to the knowledge base of the field and moving it forward.