Scholarly vs Non-Scholarly Resources
Instructors often ask that students use only scholarly resources for their research.
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 do not undergo any expert review prior to publishing.
Popular vs. Scholarly - A Chart
This chart may help you understand the difference between an article from a popular source (like a magazine) as opposed to an article from a scholarly/academic/peer-reviewed source (like a journal).
