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When you’re conducting a study, you are going to use various types of scholarly sources. A key step in any research is reviewing and understanding previous studies related to your topic, so that you don’t produce duplicate or irrelevant results. The sources you use are therefore very important.
Which type of scholarly source should I use?
How do I find scholarly sources?
How to evaluate a scholarly source
Are all scholarly sources journal articles?
Are government reports a scholarly source?
Can I cite non-scholarly sources in my research paper?
What is a scholarly source?
A scholarly source, or academic source, refers to peer-reviewed research, usually published in scientific journals as articles. But this type of source can also include conference proceedings, presentations, and books. Journal articles can be
- Original articles—publishing new research
- Literature reviews & meta-analyses—analyses of existing research and data
- Opinions and commentaries—they are usually written by senior or highly experienced scientists in a particular field, often considered “thought leaders”
Scholarly sources are often considered the most credible for an academic assignment or paper because they are generally peer-reviewed by experts in the field and undergo rigorous scientific vetting before they are published.
Types of scholarly sources
Scholarly sources can be largely grouped into three types
- Primary, which contain original data generated by the researchers
- Secondary: they evaluate or analyze the work of other researchers
- Tertiary, i.e., sources that compile information from a wide variety of primary and secondary sources, and usually simplify and condense it. Reference works like encyclopedias are a good example of a tertiary source.
Which type of scholarly source should I use?
The general rule of thumb is to use a secondary source (like a synthetic review or narrative review) to gain an overall understanding of a topic, and to use a primary source to support specific statements or data. As far as possible, locate the original source: if you are stating the incidence of community-acquired pneumonia in the US, cite data from the NIH or CDC, rather than Johnson’s study on community-acquired pneumonia.
How do I find scholarly sources?
Your university library is the best place to locate different sources you can use in your research. Through your library, you will probably have access to various research databases like MEDLINE and CINAHL. You can also look up sources online (use Google Scholar rather than Google, so that you mainly get published research in the results of your search). Apps like R Discovery make it even easier to find sources; just type in a question and get an answer that includes links to credible published papers on the topic.
How to evaluate a scholarly source
Okay, I said before that peer-reviewed journal articles are usually the most credible. But we also have a lot of academic misconduct, such as paper mills, fake journals, and AI-generated garbage articles that masquerade as scholarly research. So don’t just cite any article you find. Pause and evaluate
- How you got there: did you use a reputed database like MEDLINE or just run a Google search?
- What’s the journal like: Is it indexed in reputed databases like Scopus and SCI? Does it clearly display its editorial board, aims and scope, instructions to authors? Is it a member of reputable organizations like COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)? Is it published by a known publisher or university?
- The article itself: a legit scientist will take pains to be professional and accurate in their writing. A genuine research paper is rarely sensational or provocative. You won’t find personal opinions in an article unless it’s labelled as a commentary or editorial. Reputed journals will not allow unparliamentary or derogatory language, even on the most controversial topics.
Pro tip: I’ve come across writing that looks highly polished and sophisticated but doesn’t contain any actual thoughts or insights. Beware of papers that seem to say a lot but don’t actually say anything when you read the text closely. They could be AI-generated garbage run by paper mills.
Are all scholarly sources journal articles?
No, research is also published in the form of conference proceedings, books, monographs, posters, etc. In fields like engineering and computer science, conference proceedings are invaluable in keeping up to date with the latest advances. In fact, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) runs a digital library called IEEE Xplore that contains a vast collection of conference proceedings in the field. Books and monographs are also very popular in the humanities, especially history, literature and philosophy.
Are government reports a scholarly source?
Government reports may not be “peer reviewed” but they often are produced under strict supervision and undergo multiple rounds of checks before they are published. Reports from governmental or intergovernmental bodies like the World Health Organization are considered highly credible and authoritative in academic research. So it’s usually fine to cite them in your research paper.
Can I cite non-scholarly sources in my research paper?
It may be okay to cite non-scholarly sources such as news media reports or social media posts in your research paper, but these should not be the bulk of your reference list. Even in fields like media studies and culture studies, you’re expected to refer to the work of other researchers and not just popular and social media. Many journals also allow you to cite personal communications (like an email), but sparingly and only in cases where there is no other source available.
If you’re new to searching for and evaluating scholarly sources, the best way to build your skills is to read. Read lots of research in your field. Make it a practice to read 2-3 papers per week, even if you are not working directly on those topics. You’ll soon realize the kind of research options and opportunities you have and which sources are deemed the most trustworthy.
