How Do I Know if an Article is Scholarly?


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What are Scholarly Journal Articles?

Scholarly articles are published in professional research journals and are written by researchers in a particular field to be read by other researchers in that field. Most scholarly journals are also peer-reviewed journals, which contain scholarly articles that have been evaluated by the authors' fellow researchers, or peers, before the articles are published.

Why are Scholarly Journal Articles Important?

Research: The research that goes into an article before it is published is much greater than that of an everyday popular magazine. Furthermore, the research is documented; notes and references are always included.
Credentials: The author of a scholarly article typically has professional credentials in the discipline in which he or she is writing.
Peer Review: In peer-reviewed scholarly journals, an author's research is reviewed by other experts in the field to check the quality and validity of the author's research and to ensure that the information meets the standard required for publication in that journal.

The peer review process is very different from the publication process for a popular magazine, such as Time. Popular magazine articles are written by staff writers for a general audience. These staff writers submit the articles to their editors, who then decide whether the article will be published.

Professors often require students to use scholarly articles for their research assignments.

How Do I Know if an Article is Scholarly?

The ODU Library's guide "Scholarly vs. Popular Journals" will help you answer that question. The guide contains a useful chart to help you decide whether an article is scholarly or popular.

(5) Do You Know How?

Who writes scholarly articles?

A. Professional researchers
B. Magazine staff writers

Read correct answer

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