Don't forget to evaluate your source! Scholarly sources may not require the same level of evaluation as popular sources (like newspaper and magazine articles), but scholarly sources should still be evaluated. Consider the following when evaluating a scholarly source:
- Authority: Are the author's credentials directly related to the topic of the scholarly article? Scholarly sources usually provide that information for you, especially if you found the source in a library database.
- Currency: When was the source published? Your instructor may require you to find scholarly articles that are current or in a specific date range.
- Relevancy: Is the article is relevant to your research needs? You found a scholarly article, but is it the right scholarly article for your specific research question?
- Bias: What is the purpose of the scholarly article? Is it primarily fact based? Does it share original research? Scholars may also write commentary and editorials. Language should be free from emotion and the author should provide evidence for their argument.
For full information on evaluating sources, visit our Source Evaluation page.
