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PSY2004-Klopcic-Social Psychology

What is the Difference Between Scholarly and Non-Scholarly Sources?

Scholarly
Non-Scholarly
  • Engage with and build upon credible, authoritative sources
  • Participate in a larger, ongoing conversation on the topic, and this conversation is evident in the scholarly essay
  • Always properly cite their sources—always a Works Cited, References, or Bibliography and some form of in-text citations
  • Often present information as negotiable—even when a scholar is arguing for one way of looking at things, s/he will at least acknowledge that there are other ways of looking at the topic or issue
  • Almost always peer reviewed by other scholars
  • May claim to be citing credible sources, but they may not actually be
  • May not acknowledge the ongoing conversation surrounding the issue
  • May present knowledge as the ultimate truth, the one right perspective on a topic
  • Probably won’t cite texts—don’t usually use in-text citations or works cited pages (thus, references may be hard to find!)

Examples

Examples
  • Scholarly Articles in the databases (will say if they are peer reviewed or not)
  • Scholarly Articles in Scholarly Journals (in databases, but sometimes can find online)
  • Scholarly books
  • Anthologies—collections of essays on a specific topic that are peer reviewed
  • Magazine articles
  • News: on TV, in the newspaper, online, any form!
  • Blogs
  • Encyclopedia: everything from the Britannica set to Wikipedia
  • Text books
  • Fiction: all literature, poetry, and other forms of creative writing
  • Speeches
  • Most texts you will find on google or the internet at large!

 

Source: Syracuse University Libraries: Basic Research Strategies for the Social Sciences: Scholarly vs. Non-scholarly Articles

Elements of a Scholarly Article

What makes up a scholarly article? See below for detailed descriptions of each of the elements that comprise a scholarly article!

Name of Section
Function
Relevant to
Abstract Brief summary of the article Readers making decisions about whether the article might apply to their own research.
Author Bios Provides information on the author including affiliated institution and department and possible contact information. Readers can decide to research other works by a particular author or try to contact the author about their research. 
Introduction Provides context and background. Readers learn more about the authors' reasons for taking on this research.
Literature Review Analyzes, responds to, and/or identifies gaps in related research. Readers want to learn more about the scholarly conversation to which authors are contributing.
Methods/Results Outlines how the research was done and the results found. Those who want to validate, replicate, or adapt the authors' research.
Discussion Reflects on the implications of the research Readers want to learn about the potential impact of the research.
In-Text Citations/References

In-Text Citations-References found in the text of the article if sources are quoted, summarized, or paraphrased.

References- List of works cited by the authors in the article.

In-Text Citations help readers easily find sources in the References or Works Cited page that corresponds to the referenced passage

References provides information necessary for the reader to located and retrieve any source the authors have cited in the body of the article.
Appendices Supplemental materials, including examples of instruments, such as charts, or data-sets that may have been used as part of the research. Those who may want to adapt these materials for their own uses. 
Source: University of Albany, University Libraries –Common Elements of a Scholarly Article