The following characteristics can help you differentiate scholarly sources from those that are not. Be sure and look at the criteria in each category when making your determination, rather than basing your decision on only one criteria.
Authors
* What information is provided about the author's credentials?
* Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
* Is the author affiliated with a reputable institution or scholarly publisher?
* Is the author mentioned or cited in another trustworthy source?
Audience
* Who is the intended audience of the source?
* Scholars? General public?
* Is the language geared toward those with knowledge of a specific discipline or the general public?
Content
* Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
* Can the information be verified in other sources?
* Are sources cited? Are there references to other writings on the topic?
* Are research claims documented?
* Are conclusions based on the evidence provided?
* Are bibliographies included?
* Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, insitutional, or personal biases?
Currency/Timeliness
* Is the date of publication evident?
* Is currency of the information crucial to your research?
Publishers
* Who is the publisher of the information?
* Is the publisher an academic institution (university press), scholarly or professional organization, a scholarly trade publisher, or a trade publsher? Examples:
* Academic Publishers:
* Oxford University Press
* Duke University Press
* Scholarly or Professional Organizations:
* American Academy of Religion
* American Psychological Association
* Scholarly Trade Publishers:
* Rowman & Littlefield
* Routledge
* Trade Publishers:
* Macmillan
* Simon & Schuster
* Does the publisher make available their peer-review or editorial policy?
Purpose
* What is the purpose of the information?
* Is it to inform, teach, entertain, or persuade?
* Do the authors make their intentions or purpose clear?
* Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
* Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
A peer reviewed journal article is an article that has been reviewed and chosen for publication by the author's professional peers. These peers are scholars in the field, who sit on the editorial board of a journal which is usually published by a professional organization or a university press. Peer reviewed articles can also be known as scholarly or refereed articles.
Note, however, that just because an article is published in a peer-reviewed journal, does not guarantee that it is a work of quality scholarship.
