General databases like ProQuest and JSTOR will yield a large number of results. But subject-specific databases like the Bibliography of Asian Studies and MLA International will provide more specialized articles and essays from books not included in the general databases. Try search in a few different kinds of databases for a good sense of what is out there. Feel free to contact Anna for help navigating these resources.
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What is the author's main argument? See the accompanying abstract or skim the first page or two of the article.
What are the author's qualifications? Look at the brief biographical sketch accompanying the article or check the web. What other articles and books has the author published?
When was the article published? Are there more recent articles that may incorporate newer evidence and interpretations?
Reading Journal Articles Critically
How does the author summarize previous scholarship on the questions involved? Thinking about this will add to your understanding of the broader historical context.
What disciplinary approach/es does the author take? For example, is the article written from the point of view of history or political science? Are there interpretations from additional academic fields, like anthropology or sociology, introduced within an article that explores an historical or political question?
What makes this author's argument significant? What new ideas does this article offer?
What kinds of sources does the author use? What evidence does the author offer to support the argument and how does the author interpret that evidence?
What are the author's conclusions? What concluding ideas does the author draws from his or her argument. Do you find it convincing? Are there questions that were not fully answered?
