I have literally started on my PHD journey this week and have so many questions, but here's one to start off with! Excuse my complete naivety but when chosing atricles to read and therefore reference, should one only use Journals with a high ABS rating? I have been told my one person that is the case, but I wanted to check.

Thanks

I've not heard of ABS ratings, but other journal or article 'metrics' that are commonly used are the 'impact factor' and the 'H index'. (Google them)

Some people put an awful lot of emphasis on them. I view them with a certain degree of suspicion and would advise caution - you can get some rubbish published in high impact factor journals, while you will also find some really useful gems in more obscure publications.

At the end of the day, you should cite whatever is (i) relevant and (ii) good quality/reliable. I realise the latter is difficult to assess, particularly if you've just started, but the more you read, the better a feel you will get for it. If your uni offers any courses in critical appraisal of the literature, take them. For now, also ask your colleagues and peers for recommendations of journals to look at, but don't rule out good stuff from elsewhere.

If you tell us roughly what field you're in, we might be able to give some more specific advice.

Thanks, that's really good advice. I was told this information by a fellow colleague, but I am aware that what applies to one student, won't necessarily apply to another, but I just wanted to check. I am studying Marketing / Entrepreneurship, which is a new subject area for me, so I feel a bit clueless! The ABS, is the Association of Business Schools. I will take your advice, but also when I eventually meet with my supervisor, I'm sure they can suggest the correct way to proceed!

Cheers again! :-)