Q. What is a scientific journal? How is it used for research?

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), "Scientific journals represent the most vital means for disseminating research findings and are usually specialized for different academic disciplines or subdisciplines. Often, the research challenges common assumptions and/or the research data presented in the published scientific literature in order to gain a clearer understanding of the facts and findings. Depending upon the policies of a given journal, articles may include reports of original research, re-analyses of others’ research, reviews of the literature in a specific area, proposals of new but untested theories, or opinion pieces."

For more information on scientific journals, see the APA's article "What are Scientific Journals?"

Scientific journals are peer reviewed. For more information on peer-reviewed / scholarly journals, see "How do I tell if a journal article is peer reviewed?"