Scholars and other specialists write sources of scholarship and help improve knowledge within specific fields by sharing the latest discoveries, analyses, theories, and insights, as well as news or summaries of the latest scoop.
Scholarly resources can be secondary or primary research. They are also available in a variety of types of formats. The books, articles, websites, and books can be academic. Be aware that there can be a distinction between scholarly as well as peer-reviewed publications; however, the majority of peer-reviewed publications are considered scholars, but there are a few scholarly publications that are peer-reviewed.
What Qualifies as a Scholarly Source?
In its most basic sense, “a scholarly source is material written by scholars for scholars,” stated Anaya Jones, a general education teacher at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).
The scholars have advanced degrees, including master’s degrees or terminal degrees. They are involved in research that helps them reach their academic field. The purpose of their work is to spread knowledge, not to market papers, make clicks or generate revenue by any means.
The scope of research in the field can encompass surveys, results and data, as well as the referencing of previous work carried out by other researchers.
What is an example of a Scholarly Source?
Written work that is utilized as source is generally classified into two types: scholarly and popular. The purpose of popular material is to entertain or inform people. This could be newspaper publications, magazines, websites or blogs.
It is a type of material that, on the contrary, is usually composed of research studies and journal articles designed to advance knowledge within the field of study. The purpose of these sources is not to be entertaining. Their goal is to provide information and further their research field.
The majority of scholars’ sources can be published in journals that are specific to a particular discipline or publications of academic presses, such as The Journal of Educational Behavior or Columbia University Press.
It is important to remember that research conducted in scholarly fields is usually peer-reviewed. That means others in the discipline review the study and then decide if the methods and analysis are solid. If it is, the study is deemed reliable and appropriate to be published in journals or an academic press.
Students and professors rely upon scholarly journal articles in order to share their work as well as publish their research. Let others benefit from their discoveries.
So, How Do You Know if a Source is Scholarly?
When an article is released in a peer-reviewed publication, it’s considered to be scholarly. If the article was published in an academic journal which isn’t peer-reviewed and is not informed, it could be. However, it isn’t. You should look for clues and apply your expertise as a professional to determine the distinction.
The first step is to identify the writer. Once you have specified the author, you are able to determine the target audience. If the work is composed by a researcher or professor and is geared toward other academics and researchers, the piece is likely academic.
If you’re creating an essay or looking for research sources, databases of libraries are a good source to begin. This is where you will find numerous articles written in scholarly journals as well as academic presses. Many universities and colleges offer subscriptions to provide students with online access to a range of academic journals.
Libraries also have some of the most popular publications; however, make sure to narrow your search down to scholarly sources only. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to begin your search by searching for peer-reviewed publications.
The most important aspect of the process of vetting is to decide if the source is reliable as well as being academically reputable. In determining credibility, it “depends so much on what you need that information for,” explained Jones. The evaluation of sources doesn’t have to be about whether they are good or bad. It’s about deciding if it’s appropriate for your particular topic.
What qualifies as a research source?
These are some traits that could help you determine the authenticity of scholarly sources.
1. Accuracy
In scholarly publications, information is grammatically and factually accurate. A bibliography, or listing of references, is often included in the academic journal to prove and acknowledge the sources from which they derive.
2. Author details
The names of each author and their academic credentials and affiliations to institutions within scholarly sources increase its reliability.
3. A lack of bias
The sources used in the research are based on evidence and facts, not opinions and are free from any confirmation bias or political stance. The authors appeal to a person’s logic, not to emotions when making the report.
4. Aims of the public
The majority of sources in the field are written to be read by researchers, scholars and academicians. as well as other specialists in the area. Because they’re not designed for the common user, the style of writing could be more technical.
5. Timelines
The scholarly sources utilized for publication are quite recent, i.e., they were published three or five years prior to the publication date. Publication.
6. Publisher
The publishers of scholarly works generally consist of professional associations, university presses, universities, academic institutions, and commercial publishing houses.
7. Peer-review
Most peer-reviewed sources of scholarship are, i.e., they are reviewed and confirmed by review panels comprised of experts in the subject. It is worth noting that, in certain instances, publications may not have been reviewed by a peer but still count as being scholarly.
8. Purpose
The goal of these sources is to convey high-quality, scientifically-supported ideas.
Where can you get academic sources?
The most popular search engines with academic sources are Science Direct, Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, WorldWideScience, ResearchGate, PubMed, JSTOR, Academic Search Premier as well as OneSearch. They provide thousands of sources from scholarly journals based on diverse disciplines. You can locate educational resources at your university, too!
If you need help finding a reliable academic source, you can try Elsevier Author Services. Our experts are here to assist you in the research process and provide helpful tips on how to make your research more widely known!
What can I do to find academic sources?
When conducting any study, you’ll need to locate sources. The way you locate the sources you need will be contingent on the information you’re seeking. The primary places to look to find sources include:
Databases for research: A great starting point is Google Scholar. Check out the library website in your school to find out what databases for academic research you can access.
The library at your institution: Check the catalogue of your library to locate pertinent resources. Explore the shelves in relevant sections. Also, you can look up the bibliographies of relevant publications to find apt additional sources.
In the case of academic databases and search engines, you may utilize Boolean operators to either include or remove keywords in order to improve the outcomes.
How can I assess sources?
Understanding how to judge sources is among the most crucial knowledge literacy abilities. This helps ensure that the seeds you choose to use are credible, academic, and pertinent to your subject, as well as contain solid and well-informed arguments.
You can:
Assess the credibility of a source with the CRAAP test or a lateral reading. These tests help assess an information source’s credibility, validity and authority. They also help you determine its accuracy and the purpose behind it.
Analyze the value of a source, analyzing how the author interacts with important debates, significant research or publications, areas of knowledge that are not covered, as well as research trends.
Examine the argument of a source by looking at the relation between the claims of a head and the proof that is used to back their claims.
When looking at sources, it is important to consider your options critically and be aware of your assumptions.
What is a Peer-Reviewed Source?
Sources that have been peer-reviewed are considered to be academic. However, there are a few scholarly resources that are peer-reviewed.
When a peer-reviewed journal article is released, the essay needs to undergo the peer-review process. The peer reviewers who read the paper are impartial and qualified experts in the field of research. They (or peers)go through the text and determine if the study is scientifically reliable, valid, and of good quality.
If you’re required to use a peer-reviewed academic source to complete your project, You can tell if the reference has been peer-reviewed by either of the following methods:
1. Look up the title of the journal within the UAGC Library. The full record page gives the YES/NO option on peer review.
2. Google searches for the title of the journal, as well as look over the About Us section to see if the journal mentions peer review.
Check out this UAGC Library Hierarchy of Sources Guide for further details.
What is the Best Way to Find Scholarly Sources?
The easiest method to locate an academic source is to use the UAGC Library by checking the scholar/peer-reviewed selector within Library OneSearch.
Be aware that using any online search engine like Google does not limit the results to only academic or peer-reviewed resources.
What are the best sources for scholarly research?
We understand that browsing in the library can be intimidating until you become comfortable with it. Feel free to contact the library anytime for assistance.
You may have heard about using Google Scholar for academic research. It is a no-cost search engine by Google with a focus on searching for scholarly publications online. There are advantages and disadvantages to making use of Google Scholar.
Be aware that although Google Scholar is simple to make use of, its outputs are only sometimes reliable and can be wildly different in their quality. Google Scholar offers the best assumption of what a scholarly source is. However, it is only occasionally accurate. You’ll need to scrutinize the sources you find using the suggestions below on how to determine if the source is considered to be academic. Additionally, the complete content of an article may not always be accessible through Google Scholar as opposed to the other sources that are available within the UAGC Library.
How to Cite Scholarly Sources
The goal of locating the most authoritative sources about a topic is to utilize the information from these sources to inform your academic writing. The arguments or assertions that you present in your essay should be backed by proof to back up those assertions. Utilizing scholarly sources assures you that the evidence you provide is reliable.
Selecting the most pertinent evidence to the topic you are writing about is crucial. Learn more about the different types of evidence available and the best way to select appropriate and reliable evidence from the UAGC Writing Center’s Choosing the Best Sources and Evidence guide.
The information you gather from academic sources must be utilized to support the sentences in every body paragraph of your educational piece before the topic sentence and prior to the review and analysis of the facts. Learn more about how you can incorporate information from scholarly sources to write your essay within the Writing Center of the UAGC’s Body Paragraphs guide.
While you exercise your research and writing muscles, you’ll get immersed in the process of identifying, reviewing, and using sources from scholarly research. If you need more clarification, consult a librarian!
Does the story have enough evidence and be impartial?
Sources of knowledge based on scholarly research base their conclusions on facts and not opinions, using objective findings that are solidly confirmed by evidence and research. If the source is trying to influence you into certain ways of thinking but doesn’t back the conclusions it makes, then it’s unlikely to be academic.
If you now know the definition of a scholarly resource and the best way and place to locate them, there’s no reason for you to leave them out of your study. Remember to grant the hardworking academics credit when they deserve it by properly using the sources from scholarly research, which are certain to add value to your research papers and writing.