7 Scholarly Sources
What makes a source “scholarly”?
All sources are not created equal. There are some sources of information that provide more detailed, nuanced approaches to a topic that are written by experts in the field. These are scholarly sources. Scholarly sources are works that are not only written by experts in a given field, but also undergo a rigorous peer review process in which other experts in that field review the work with a fine-toothed comb to ensure it reflects the knowledge building of the field.
Popular sources, on the other hand, are written by journalists or writers, rather than expert researchers in a field. It’s important to note, though, that popular sources can still be valuable and credible.
| Scholarly Source | Popular Source |
| Written by experts in a given field | Written by journalists or non-experts |
| Undergoes extensive peer review process | Published quickly and does not undergo extensive peer review |
| Includes an extensive works cited or references page | Doesn’t include a detailed works cited or references page |
| Published in an academic journal or by an academic press | Published by non-academic (and often mass media) outlets |
| Specific in focus (e.g. the impacts of newer ChatGPT features on academic writing in public American universities) | Broad in focus (e.g. the evolution of ChatGPT) |
Scholarly Sources and Academic Writing
Scholarly sources are preferred in academic writing and in many professions. This is because the studies are designed and conducted by experts in the field who often have access to state of the art technologies to aid in their research.
That’s not to say there isn’t a place for popular sources in academic writing. Because popular sources have a quicker turn-around rate, they can often provide more timely, specific examples of the larger phenomenon a scholarly source discusses in greater detail. For example, you may find a recent article published in National Geographic that discusses the impacts of the most recent wildfires in California that effectively illustrates the findings of a larger scholarly study on the threat dryer climates pose to endangered species in the western United States.
Open Access Scholarly Sources
The availability most of the world has to the Internet has prompted some to reimagine how scholarly is shared. Historically, you could only find scholarly sources in print journals or using special databases often only found on a university campus. Today, though, many fields are breaking down the paywalls that guarantee access to scholarly databases to make their works available beyond college campuses. Open access scholarly research allows anyone with an internet connection access to cutting-edge quality information.
Because these sources are no longer behind an extensive paywall, some may call their credibility into question; however, like other scholarly publications, open access journals abide by the same rigorous peer review process and publish credible, verifiable research from top minds in a given field.