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Identifying Scholarly Works
How can you tell if something is scholarly? It should have these characteristics:
It’s peer reviewed or has a scholarly publisher
Scholarly journal articles are reviewed by other researchers before they are published. Watch Peer Review for Journal Articles to learn about the peer review process.
Many library databases label journal articles as peer reviewed. If not, search for the journal name (not the article title) in Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory and look for the little referee shirt symbol: 
Most books are not labeled as peer reviewed, but they can still be scholarly. Try researching the publisher online to determine whether it publishes scholarly works (e.g., a university press or a publisher like Routledge).
The author has relevant expertise
A quick internet search for the author’s name can help you determine whether they are an expert on the subject they have written about. For example, the author of a work of literary criticism may have an academic profile listing them as an English professor at a university.
It refers to other scholarly works through citation
Check whether the source includes references. Depending on the citation style, these may be parenthetical references or notes, and there should generally be a reference list at the end. Typically, most of the cited works will be other scholarly sources like journal articles and books.
It includes original research or analysis
Journals can include editorials or opinion pieces, which may be written by a scholar but do not include original research or analysis. One clue is the length: a scholarly source should usually be longer than one or two pages. Another clue is the structure, which will vary between disciplines, but should generally include a thesis statement or hypothesis followed by evidence and analysis.
The Importance of Many Ways of Knowing
It is important to note that scholarly resources include Indigenous and myriad non-western ways of thinking and knowledge-sharing practices, all of which greatly contribute to the development of knowledge and academic scholarship.
To learn more, visit our Indigenous Research Guide, which provides information on Indigenous ways of knowing, research methods, research data sovereignty, and citation styles.
Primary and Secondary Sources
What is a primary source?
Examples include:
- first-hand accounts of events created by participants or witnesses of an event
- materials created by researchers through first-hand experimentation, observation, or other research methodologies
- data and statistics
- letters and diaries
- creative works, including poems, music scores, short stories, films, novels, paintings, photographs, etc.
What is a secondary source?
Examples include:
- resources that discuss/analyze an event or subject (but are written after the time that the events occurred, by someone who was not a participant or witness)
- works that contain interpretations and analyses of one or more primary source
- resources that summarize, analyze, or report on the work of other researchers
For more information and resources, visit the Primary Sources guide.
Types of Information Sources
Select any source from the list to learn what it is and where to find it.
Indigenous Knowledges