A journal has a specific impact and prominence within its field. This prominence is generated by the quality of submissions, the number of times cited, and many other factors, which in turn attract higher quality research and increase citations from members of the academy. Using a highly ranked journal does not guarantee a useful article for your research, but it can certainly improve the odds of quality academic work.
I have compiled a short list of influential journals to start your research, and you can also reference a Google Scholar Listing of Top Publications, then utilize the eJournal Locator (see below) to get access.
UMD Library users can link their UMD user accounts with Google Scholar which allows for quicker access to scholarly articles. Take advantage of database and subscriptions through our FindIt! link resolver!