Molecular and Cell Biology Library Guide

What is a journal?

A journal is like an academic magazine where researchers have written articles about their research findings.

What is the difference between a book and a journal article?

A book is a longer, and a usually more comprehensive text on a subject.

Journal articles are shorter, and more focused on specific topic. They are published more frequently and so have more up-to-date information than books do.

Why use journals?

• They are usually more up to date than books.
• As most of them have been checked by other peer researchers (i.e. peer reviewed), they are more reliable than general web articles and newspaper articles.
• They are shorter to read than books.

At UCT Libraries we have journals in both print and electronic format. To find journals, use Journal Search in Primo.

Print journal collection are physically housed in three different areas.

• Current journals are in low shelves at Research Wing, Jagger Level 6.
• Older journals published after the year 1965 are housed in the basement in compact shelves, at Immelmann Level 2 and Level 1.
• Journals published in 1965 and before 1965, they are stored in a remote location. To access one of the journal volumes, please request at the counter or issuing desk. Note that there will be a waiting time of 24hrs. However, if you would like to access just a single article, please send a request to your librarian.

Electronic journals are available in subscribed databases and all are searchable via Journal Search in Primo. Remember to search for the journal title, and not the article title. Online access coverage information of a subscribed journal is reflected in Primo record of it and its articles.