Journal of the week – what are journals and why do you need them?

We’re going to be showcasing some of our journal titles this year by a Journal of the Week blog post. They may be popular titles, or subject specialist, or especially for a particular group of healthcare workers.

But what are journals and why do you need them?

Journals are the source of articles written by academics, researchers and experts in their subject areas. They are published on a regular basis as an issue, in print and/ or online. Most of our journals are available online. You should read articles on a regular basis to stay up-to-date with changes and research in your area of practice, to support your professional development or to find good quality information for your studies.

Articles may be written about:

New research
Best practice
Professional development
Discipline or specialty topics
Expert commentary or opinion

Articles are often peer-reviewed to ensure that content is trustworthy and of good quality.

Here’s a quick summary:

infograph listing the key points made in this article

Learn more about articles from our online tutorial: What is an article?

Follow our blog to learn more about our journal titles in our Journal of the Week series.

Finding Journals

Find our journal collections via the Journals page on the Health Library website.

To learn how to find a journal title follow the step-by-step instructions in these blog posts:

Need more help?

Contact the Health Library for help accessing resources or finding information

Contact the eresources librarian to report a problem with any journal.

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Are you too busy to visit the Health Library? Are you getting by just googling it? Would you like to get easy access to library resources? UHNM staff can access many of our services and resources online without having to visit the Health Library. Complete our updated tutorial NHS Online Library for UHNM staff to learn how. You'll learn: how to get your NHS OpenAthens account where to browse our ebook collections how to find a journal which databases you can search how to stay up-to-date with the latest evidence where you can get training and support how to request our services online Make sure you make the most of your library service, even if you don't visit! Please contact the Health Library if you need any more help.

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