For academic research, you will most likely need to be using scholarly resources. Use the checklist below to check if your source can be considered scholarly.
A scholarly article is written and published to share information and facts with students, scholars, and professionals. It is not meant to entertain. It is not meant for the general public.
Authors of scholarly articles are usually associated with a college, university, or other professional organization. They usually have an advanced degree or are otherwise recognized as an expert in their field.
When an author submits a paper to a scholarly journal, the article is reviewed by other experts in the field for accuracy and bias. If the article does not meet the requirements, it gets sent back to the author with comments and suggestions for the author to review. If the article does meet the requirements, it is published in the journal.
The article should contain data such as charts, graphs, or numbers to back up the argument. Scholarly articles are comprehensive, and usually at least 5 pages in length. The article should use language that the field uses--for example: medical- “insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus,” computer science- “javascript,” education- “pedagogy.”
Research does not appear out of thin air; it is built upon previous research as well as your own findings. At the end of the article, there will be a list of references or a bibliography listing the sources that the author(s) of this article have referred to.
Currency- When was the website last updated? Was it published in 2010 and not updated since? Was the website updated within the past year? Make sure the information is not out of date! Are there links to other websites? Do these links still work?
Relevency- Does this website give you information about your topic? Who is the intended audience? Is the information presented appropriate for you (Are you looking at an explanation for children, adults, general public, scholars, etc?)
Authority- Who is the author, publisher, or sponsor of this website? Are they experts in the field, have credentials such as an advanced degree or an affiliation with professional organizations? Is there contact information given?
Accuracy- Is the information backed up by other reliable sources? Can you verify the information in other sources? Are there spelling and grammar errors?
Purpose- What is the purpose of this website? Is it for entertainment? Is it to inform people? Is it to sell something? Is it to persuade you to a certain point of view? Is the information presented based on facts, opinions, or propaganda? Is the point of the website clear?
