How do I identify scholarly resources?

Rules differ by discipline. Start with the general rules below and contact your subject specialist / Liaison Librarian for more help.

Scholarly sources are judged based in part on the following criteria:

1. Authors: Check that an author is listed, that their credentials are included and that the credentials and affiliations are relevant to the information provided.
2. Publishers: Who is the publisher? Scholarly publishers are often academic, scholarly or professional organizations. If not, is the purpose for publishing evident (i.e. is it to sell something, market an idea, share an opinion, etc.)?
3. Audience: Who is the intended audience? Scholarly sources often use specific or technical knowledge aimed at individuals in a specific discipline. They are not meant for a general reader. 
4. Content: Why has the information been written? Scholarly sources cite many sources (both in the text and in a reference list at the end) and often include charts, graphs and tables. The content should document the claims being made and provide evidence to support conclusions.
5. Currency: Currency may be important depending on the topic.

Terminology

Scholarly sources: includes academic, peer-reviewed and refereed sources. These are sources written by experts in their field. Scholarly sources can be in any format including books, journal articles and websites.

Peer reviewed / refereed: An article that has been peer reviewed has been reviewed by other experts in the field before publication. Used almost exclusively in reference to journal articles.