Q. How do I know if something is "scholarly"?
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Answered By: Christine Stark Last Updated: Aug 17, 2015 Views: 182
Answered By: Christine Stark
Last Updated: Aug 17, 2015 Views: 182
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 If you find a source that is not peer-reviewed (or even if it is), you should evaluate it: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?
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