Skip to Main Content

CHM140IN-Fund. Organic & Biochemistry: Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

Scholarly vs Non-Scholarly Resources

Your instructor may ask you to use only scholarly resources for your paper.

Scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources include books and articles published in scholarly journals, encyclopedias, and books.

These sources are reviewed by a panel of experts in that particular field, and are often published by a professional association or a university press.
The experts ensure the information published is credible before accepting it for publication.

Non-Scholarly sources include websites, magazines, newspapers, and books that undergo no expert review prior to publishing.

Sample articles of different types of publications

The following articles are all about the topic of Chemistry.

What's the difference between these articles?

Scholarly journal--empirical research report
Original, scholarly research--as reported to other specialists. This is "primary literature"
Popular magazine--short article
Reports on research results on this topic for non-specialists. This is "secondary literature"
Reference source--encyclopedia article
Gives an overview of the topic for non-specialists. This is "tertiary literature"

Popular vs. Scholarly Articles (Exercise)

ANATOMY OF A SCHOLARLY ARTICLE (from NCSU Libraries)
Exercise: Explore this link (above) first, then evaluate your article below. Is it "scholarly" or not? Find at least 3 reasons to support your decision.
Plug and play reactor modules for flow chemistry.
Flow chemistry as a tool to access novel chemical space for drug discovery
Coffee chemistry from bean to cup
The smell of coffee: the carbon atom microwave structure of coffee furanone validated by quantum chemistry
Implementation of New Communication Tools to an Online Chemistry Course.
Chemistry education goes online

Scholarly Vs. Popular