What is a scholarly source?

Scholarly sources (also referred to as academic, peer-reviewed, or refereed sources) are written by experts in a particular field and serve to continue others interested in that field up to date on the most contempo research, findings, and news. These resources will provide the near substantial information for your research and papers.

What is peer-review?

When a source has been peer-reviewed, information technology has undergone the review and scrutiny of a review board of colleagues in the author's field. They evaluate this source as part of the body of inquiry for a detail discipline and brand recommendations regarding its publication in a journal, revisions prior to publication, or, in some cases, refuse its publication.

Why utilize scholarly sources?

Scholarly sources' authorization and credibility meliorate the quality of your ain paper or research project.

How can I tell if a source is scholarly?

The following characteristics tin can help you lot differentiate scholarly sources from those that are not. Be certain to expect at the criteria in each category when making your determination, rather than basing your decision on only i piece of information.

Authors

  • Are author names provided?
  • Are the authors' credentials provided?
  • Are the credentials relevant to the information provided?

Publishers

  • Who is the publisher of the information?
  • Is the publisher an academic institution, scholarly, or professional organization?
  • Is their purpose for publishing this information evident?

Audition

  • Who is the intended audience of this source?
  • Is the language geared toward those with cognition of a specific subject rather than the general public?

Content

  • Why is the data being provided?
  • Are sources cited?
  • Are there charts, graphs, tables, and bibliographies included?
  • Are research claims documented?
  • Are conclusions based on evidence provided?
  • How long is the source?

Currency/Timeliness

  • Is the appointment of publication evident?

Boosted Tips for Specific Scholarly Source Types

Each resources blazon below will too accept unique criteria that can exist applied to it to determine if it is scholarly.

Books

  • Publishers
    • Books published by a University Printing are likely to be scholarly.
    • Professional organizations and the U.S. Government Printing Office can also be indicators that a volume is scholarly.
  • Book Reviews
    • Book reviews can provide clues as to if a source is scholarly and highlight the intended audience. See our Find Reviews guide to locate reviews on titles of interest.

Articles

  • Are the writer's professional affiliations provided?
  • Who is the publisher?
  • How frequently is the periodical published?
  • How many and what kinds of advertisements are present? For case, is the advertising clearly geared towards readers in a specific subject field or occupation?
  • For more information about different journal types, see our Selecting Sources guide.

Web Pages

  • What is the domain of the page (for example: .gov, .edu, etc.)?
  • Who is publishing or sponsoring the page?
  • Is contact information for the writer/publisher provided?
  • How recently was the folio updated?
  • Is the information biased? Scholarly materials published online should non have any show of bias.

Is My Source Scholarly?: INFOGRAPHIC

Utilise the flowchart below to determine if your source is scholarly.

Is My Source Scholarly? (Accessible View)

Step i: Source

The article is most probable scholarly if:

  • Y'all plant the article in a library database or Google Scholar
  • The journal the commodity appears in is peer-reviewed

Move to Stride 2: Authors

Pace 2: Authors

The source is most probable scholarly if:

  • The authors' credentials are provided
  • The authors are affiliated with a university or other enquiry institute

Motion to Stride iii: Content

Step 3: Content

The article is about likely scholarly if:

  • The source is longer than 10 pages
  • Has a works cited or bibliography
  • It does non attempt to persuade or bias the reader
  • It attempts to persuade or bias the reader, just treats the topic considerately, the data is well-supported, and it includes a works cited or bibliography

If the article meets the criteria in Steps 1-3 it is almost likely scholarly.