Overview
How Scholarly?
Sources of information can range from being not scholarly, to very scholarly, to somewhere in the middle. Each source will go somewhere on this scale:
| 0 |-----------------------------------------------------5----------------------------------------------------| 10 | ||
| Least Scholarly e.g., fake news, childrens' books |
Mid-Level Sources that are not as scholarly, but still credible, include popular periodicals such as magazines and newspapers. |
Most Scholarly Scholarly sources typically include academic journal articles. |
Things to Consider:
.Where on the scholarly scale does your source fall?
To make your determination, here are six things to consider:
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Author credentials can be: Most scholarly - expert with advanced degree (e.g., Ph.D., M.D., J.D.) in relevant subject Mid-level - journalist, some academic credentials (e.g., B.A., B.S., M.A.) in relevant subject Least scholarly - no credentials, no academic degree or experience in the subject |
The target audience can be: Most scholarly - other experts, professionals, or scholars in that subject area Mid-level - general public Least scholarly - general public, elementary, middle school students |
References can be: Most scholarly - extensive list of scholarly sources Mid-level - list of credible/reliable sources; sources mentioned in the text Low-level - no references |
The publisher can be: Most scholarly - a university, professional, or academic press; for example: Oxford University Press, American Psychological Association, Elsevier Mid-level - reputable book publisher, magazine, or newspaper Least scholarly - self-published/vanity press Learn about publishers by visiting their websites and looking in the "About" section. |
Editing and review can be: Most Scholarly - the author's peers (experts in a subject area) critically evaluate all aspects of the work; this is called Peer Review. It can also be called Refereed. Mid-level - Substantive editing, for content, structure Low-level - proofreading or copy editing for grammar, spelling, and capitalization Least Scholarly - no editing or review |
The purpose can be: Most scholarly - to inform or educate about a specific topic or to describe a research study; should be objective (it may support a particular side, but with documentation and fair consideration of the other side) Mid-level - to inform or educate about a topic, event, or issue; might be biased Least scholarly - to entertain, to sell you something; might be biased |
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Your Research Needs
There are many sources of information -- websites, books, magazines, journals, newspapers, friends -- and which sources you use depends on your needs.
For your college research needs, your sources need to be reliable and credible. Credible and reliable sources can be more scholarly or more popular:
Sources that are more scholarly, such as academic journal articles, are considered more scholarly due to the expertise of the authors, advanced vocabulary and concepts, and the rigorous review and editing process.
Sources that are more popular, such as magazine and newspaper articles, can also be reliable and appropriate (perhaps for a brief speech or short paper), though you may find more opinions there. They also do not discuss a topic in as much depth as a more scholarly source would.
More Information on Identifying Scholarly Sources
A NOVA research guide that includes an evaluation form and suggestions for evaluating a source's author, audience, purpose, etc.
- How To...Identify Scholarly Information A NOVA research guide that includes an evaluation form and suggestions for evaluating a source's author, audience, purpose, etc.