What is a scholarly source?
Scholarly sources (also called academic, peer-reviewed, or refereed sources) are articles and books that are written by scholars and other experts, and they are intended to be used by other scholars and researchers. Written in academic language and using subject-specific terminology, these sources are the main way that scholars communicate their research findings to other scholars and advance the scholarly conversation about a topic.
Authors of scholarly sources are often affiliated with a college, university, or research institution, and they are usually published in academic journals (also known as peer-reviewed or refereed journals). Journal is a word we use for magazines, and libraries may call them periodicals. Academic journals are often published by academic or professional associations, or a university or academic press.