Scholarly Sources

How to find scholarly sources using GMU Libraries databases.

What are Scholarly Sources? Webster’s Third International

Dictionary defines scholarly as:

Concerned with academic study, especially research, exhibiting the methods and attitudes of a scholar, and having the manner and appearance of a scholar.

Types of Periodical Sources: 1. Scholarly Sources Come in the form of scholarly

journals. 2. Trade Sources Come in the form of trade journals. 3. Popular Sources Come in the form of popular

magazines, newspapers, or other periodicals.

Popular Sources Authors

Staff or freelance writers Not subject experts May or may not receive credit.

Appearance Visually appealing. Paid advertising, photographs, color. Shorter articles. No bibliographies or bibliographic references.

Popular Sources, cont. Content

Might report on new research, but as a news item, feature story, opinion or editorial piece.

Audience General public.

Examples Newsweek, Time, The Economist, National

Geographic, and Psychology Today.

Trade Sources Authors

Staff or freelance writers May or may not be subject expert

Appearance Visually appealing Paid advertising, many photographs and color.

Content Reports on problems or issues of a particular

industry. Might contain industry terms or specialized

vocabulary.

Trade Sources, cont.

Audience People in that particular trade or industry.

Examples Billboard, Variety, American Libraries, and

Computer Week.

Scholarly Sources Authors

Subject experts. Receive credit. Credentials will be listed.

Appearance Little or no advertising. Lack color and glossy photographs. Likely to have graphs, tables and charts. Articles are lengthy with full bibliographies and

references.

Scholarly Sources, cont. Content

Includes reports on original research and theories. Might include an abstract. Gone through a peer-review or referee process. Contains specialized vocabulary of the discipline.

Audience Scholars, researchers, students.

Examples Journal of American History, Science, Journal of

Accounting and Public Policy, and Lancet.

What does “peer-reviewed” mean? Scholarly publications

go through a peer-review or referee process.

In this process, subject experts review the article to see if it is suitable for publication in a scholarly journal.

How can I check to see if a publication is peer-reviewed? Many journals will have information about

peer-review in the print copy of the journal or on their website.

You can also check to see if the journal is listed as refereed in Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory.

Many databases such as Science Direct and JSTOR only have these sorts of peer-reviewed, scholarly articles.

Is there a place I can easily find scholarly articles? Both Expanded Academic ASAP and

ProQuest databases allow you to limit your search results to scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. Just click the appropriate box.

These databases are located at library.gmu.edu under the link Databases

Expanded Academic

ProQuest

You are Responsible… When you select the option to

limit your search to peer-reviewed, scholarly sources, you still have the responsibility to ensure that information is truly scholarly.

Don’t just assume – verify!

Remember… Many faculty use the terms

peer-reviewed, refereed, and scholarly interchangeably.

Don’t be confused – use the information in your class handout to assist you in deciding what sources will be best to included in your papers.

If you have questions, you can always find a librarian…

Librarians are available… In person, at any of the four

George Mason University Libraries…

Via E-mail at the Help with Research link on the library homepage

Via phone – the numbers are available at the Help with Research page, under Contact Us

Or the Ask-A-Librarian, the virtual reference service, available on the homepage as well.

And… Here at library.gmu.edu under “Help with Research”