Here are some general guidelines to identify scholarly articles.
Scholarly articles provide some of the most accurate and reliable research available.
To determine if an article is scholarly, ask yourself these questions:
1. Who wrote the article?
2. Who edits the journal the article appears in?
3. Who would read this article?
4. Why was this article written?
5. Does the author(s) cite their sources? Is there a bibliography?
Take a look at the articles below. Which ones are scholarly? How can you tell?
In academic research, it's important to be able to distinguish between different types of sources. These differences often are contextual, meaning that a single source might fit in different categories depending on how you are using it and in what academic discipline you are writing.
Primary sources are the raw materials of scholarship.
Secondary sources report on or interpret primary sources.
Tertiary sources synthesize and present overviews of primary and secondary sources.
Scholarly sources present sophisticated, researched arguments using both primary and secondary sources and are written by experts.
Popular sources aim to inform or entertain and are intended for a general, non-specialized audience. In academic writing, popular sources most often are analyzed as primary sources.
At Collins Library, your questions are always welcome! Here are some ways you can continue to develop your research skills: