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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:
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Least Scholarly e.g., 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. |
Sources that fall on the more scholarly end of the scale will typically have these characteristics:
Most scholarly - expert with advanced degree (e.g., Ph.D., M.D., J.D.) in relevant subject |
Most scholarly - other experts, professionals, or scholars in that subject area; vocabulary and concepts very advanced/technical |
Most scholarly - extensive list of scholarly sources |
![]() Most scholarly - a university, professional, or academic press; for example: Oxford University Press, American Psychological Association, Elsevier |
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. |
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) |
For more information, go to: libguides.nvcc.edu/scholarly-info |
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To check whether or not a journal is peer reviewed, use Ulrichsweb Serials Directory: