Q. How do I know if something is "scholarly"?

You will have to use your evaluation skills to determine if something is scholarly. For journals, search the title in UlrichsWeb database. An icon that looks like a striped referee’s jersey, indicates that the journal is peer-reviewed (or refereed) which is scholarly.  You can also click on the journal title link within Ulrichs to check the content type – is it academic scholarly? If you find a source that is not peer-reviewed (or even if it is), you should evaluate it:

• Author: Who wrote it? What are their credentials or background? Why is their view important? Do they have any biases that might skew their viewpoint?
• Audience: Who is it written for? Does the source use specialized vocabulary?
• Documentation: Does the author use other sources? If so, are they listed in a Reference List or Works Cited? Are these sources scholarly?
• Publisher: Who published this information? Are they a College/University or scholarly association? Do they have any biases that might skew what they decide to publish
• Currency - How long ago was this information written? Are you researching in a subject area where it is important for you to have the most up-to-date information?