| 0 0 | Last updated on Aug 05, 2021 evaluating sources research process glossary
Scholarly sources are those created by scholars or other experts to report the results of their original research to other scholars in the field. They include references and a bibliography and typically use specialized language that can be difficult for those outside the field to understand. These sources often undergo the rigorous process of peer-review before publication. This means scholars in the author's field evaluate the article for quality and validity. If lacking, the article may be rejected. Reviewers often offer suggestions for revision as a condition of acceptance.
If you need help determining if a source is scholarly, contact us or talk with your professor. You can also use the library's Rate My Source tool to get started.
It's alright if you have a hard time reading or understanding the scholarly sources you find—college students are not usually the audience! The library's Reading Strategies page has some techniques to help you understand these sources.