If you are searching Google Scholar off-campus, set your preferences in Google Scholar Settings to link to the Saint Mary's online collections.
For information on journal quality and what to look out for when searching for journal articles on the web (e.g., in Google Scholar), see the Library's Open Access guide page on Predatory Publishers.
You can also look up a journal in the following source as one way to check for quality and credibility:
Identifies journals which use deceptive practices and threaten the quality of scholarly publication.
To search for articles in several databases at once, select the Articles tab on the search box, available on the Library's homepage.
Please note: Using the above search is not meant to replace searching in individual journal databases. It is a very broad search tool, so not all of the advanced and specialized features of each journal database may be available.
A list of databases will appear:
Also known as peer-reviewed journals and academic journals. Many scholarly journals are peer-reviewed. If a scholarly journal is peer-reviewed, it means that the articles contained within the publication have been anonymously reviewed and evaluated by scholars in the field prior to publication. This process ensures that the quality of the research presented is high.
You can establish if a journal is peer-reviewed by looking at the guidelines for article submission (often found in the front or back of the issue), or by consulting the journal's website for this information. The Library's Research Help desk can also help you identify peer-reviewed journals and articles.