Browse Journals by Subject

The PSU Library does not have a specific browsing area for print journals. They are shelved with books throughout the Library on the same subject by call number. Go to Research Tools & Collections from the PSU Library homepage, then select Journals under Search by Type. Search by keywords that pertain to your subject like Spanish language or social work. shown in this image.

Search for a Specific Journal

Search for a journal title in the PSU Library catalog. 

If you are having difficulty finding a journal, then use the Advanced Search. Limit the Material Type to Journals to search for only journals, as shown in this image.

When you search for a journal in the PSU Library catalog, you may see multiple results for print and online access. Select Online Access to access full text. If it says Available at PSU Library Shelves, then it is available in print. Write down the floor and call number to find it on the shelf. If the PSU Library does not hold the journal, then request it through Interlibrary Loan & Article Delivery.

This image shows a journal available both online and in print.

Determine Which Journal to Use

In every field or discipline, there are journals that scholars consider prestigious and influential. There are a few ways to find these journals in your field:

• Ask your professor to recommend journals to use for your research
• Use a scholarly journal metric like Eigenfactor to give a general overview of impact in a discipline
• Do a literature review or scan of journals in your field

Journal metrics can be used to give an overview of the research in your field. Metrics such as the impact factor look at how many articles in a journal are cited by other researchers. Scholars may criticize these metrics because they are easy to game; impact factors do not measure the value of specific articles and often too much value is placed on them. As more scholars move away from impact factors, PSU Library recommends asking your instructor first for research journal recommendations.

For more information on journal metrics, see Declaration on Research Assessment and the European Association of Science Editors Statement on Inappropriate use of Impact Factors.

This image shows some of the ways Eigenfactor.org can be used with links to metrics on scholarly publishing, categories in science research, or data about researchers and their backgrounds.