Hippo calf and mother at the San Diego Zoo. © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: This site is maintained by the SDZWA Library for the use of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance staff and volunteers. Although we make every attempt to provide accurate information, some of the resources and links may become outdated. If you have suggestions for updates or additional resources, we welcome your feedback.
Primary source: Authoritative firsthand account, or original creative work
Secondary source: Summary, interpretation, critique, or analysis
Tip: An article from a scholarly journal or newspaper may be either.
Peer-reviewed (scholarly) journals have long been the gold standard for publishing research findings. When you search literature databases, look for the option to limit results to peer-reviewed or scholarly journals.
Anyone can publish anything on the internet! The following guidelines will help you identify reliable online information sources:
Unfortunately, newcomers looking for a quick profit are muddying the waters of scholarly publishing. These so-called predatory publishers do not rigorously review or fact-check articles before publishing, but they falsely advertise themselves as "peer-reviewed." Such scams are becoming disturbingly common.
Before you cite information from a journal, submit a manuscript, or agree to serve on an editorial board, please check the links below and take the following steps:
Keep in mind, not all open-access journals are from predatory publishers. Many open-access journals are reputable and authoritative university, society, or other non-profit initiatives.
All of these are available on the MU Libraries home page at Databases A-Z:
