PHILOSOPHY RESEARCH GUIDE: Finding Articles

An article may be scholarly/academic, but not always have a philosophical argument present. Searching in a Philosophy database, such as Philosopher's Index can help assure that you are finding both scholarly and philosophical journal articles.

What does a philosophical article include? Here are some things to look for:

• It addresses a philosophical topic and has a sustained argument in favor of a position.
• It provides distinct points within the argument and may also include subarguments or claims.
• It may include language that needs to be defined in order to understand the context of the argument.

What is a scholarly article?

• May include an abstract.
• Often includes graphs or charts.
• Includes cited sources, footnotes, endnotes and a bibliography of references.
• Usually written by scholars for others, using discipline-specific language.
• Often published by an organization.
• Usually reports on research findings and could be adding to the knowledge of the discipline.

The guides below include additional tips for getting started.  While they may refer to specific resources at the individual libraries, we have many of these resources at Boatwright Library, so be sure to consult the library catalog, the research databases or a librarian.

CSU San Marcos - Philosophy Research Guide: Includes useful tips for getting started, professional organizations, reference sources and more...

Purdue University Libraries - Tutorial and Overview

Marquette University Libraries - Research Guide