What are some ways to identify scholarly sources?
There are certain recognizable characteristics that you can use to determine if a source is scholarly.
Author
Authors of scholarly sources are usually scholars and experts in their fields. Author names are listed along with their qualifications or professional credentials, such as affiliation with a universities, hospitals, research organizations, etc.
Publisher
Scholarly sources are generally published in academic journals. For scholarly books, many are published by university and college presses or academic and professional associations.
Audience
Scholarly sources are aimed at other scholars, research, and students, rather than general readers.
References
Sources of other scholarly research in the field are referenced and cited in scholarly sources.
Language
Scholarly sources are written with academic language and terminology specific to the field. Because the audience of scholarly research is other scholars, a certain level of knowledge about the topic ad the field is assumed.
Appearance
Scholarly sources are often text-heavy and plain in appearance. Articles may be in black and white and contain little to no advertising. Any graphics included will be to provide information, like charts, graphs, or a primary source.
Structure
The typical elements of scholarly journal articles include the title of the journal, the volume and issue number of the journal, an abstract, and keywords or subjects. A specific structure of elements inside the body of the article is followed, especially for scientific research, that includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, and conclusion.