Scholarly sources are journal articles or books that are written by an expert in a particular field. Scholarly journal articles often, but not always, undergo a peer-review process in which other experts in that field review the article's contents for accuracy, validity, and quality. Books, although they may be scholarly, are generally not peer-reviewed. For more information on how to determine if a journal article has been peer-reviewed, please view the "Is it Peer Reviewed?" section on this page. When you are trying to determine if a source is scholarly, look out for the following characteristics that are common:
On Central Search, journal articles are marked with the Academic Journal icon shown above.
Popular sources are written for a general audience and are typically written in a language understood by the general public, regardless of their experience with or knowledge about the subject. The author does not need to be an expert in the field and may be a journalist or a freelance writer. News sources and magazines are examples of popular formats. Although most popular sources go through an editing process, they are not considered peer-reviewed.
Examples of popular sources include:
On Central Search, popular sources share the Periodical icon (shown above) with trade journals. It is important to recognize the difference between general audience popular sources and field-specific trade journals.
Theses and dissertations are written by graduate students as part of their graduate research. You can usually tell theses and dissertations apart from scholarly sources because the information listed on the title page will usually indicate that the sources were submitted to fulfill dissertation requirements. Dissertations and theses are not peer reviewed.
On Central Search, theses and dissertations are noted with the icon shown above.
Trade journals are written for professionals in a particular area. They are focused on a certain field but are not intended to be scholarly and do not feature original research.
On Central Search, trade journals share the Periodical icon (shown above) with popular sources, so it is important to be able to recognize trade publications.
Conference materials are papers, research reports, and keynotes presented at professional conferences. Conference materials are typically not peer reviewed.
On Central Search, conference materials are marked with the above icon.
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Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell whether or not a source is peer reviewed. When in doubt, it is best to check the journal publisher's website.
Search for the journal's title on Google or another search engine of your choice.
Open the journal publisher's website. Make sure you are viewing the official website for the journal because this should provide you with all of the information you need regarding the journal's publication.
Search on the website for any indication that the journal is peer reviewed. Peer review information is often included in the Author's Guidelines or in the Journal Info section of the website. The structure of websites varies between publishers, so take some time to look around. Remember: The peer review process can be referred to in many ways. Articles could be referred to as "refereed" or as having undergone "double-blind peer review."
You can limit searches on most library databases to include only peer reviewed articles. This option is often found in Advanced Search, or the search limiters to the left of the screen.
Sometimes, there are individual articles in peer reviewed journals that have not undergone the peer review process. Examples could include editor's notes, columns, and book reviews. Examine the article for any indication that it has not been peer reviewed.
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