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Grant Writing (01:355:315)

How can I tell if an article is scholarly?

Typical features of a scholarly article:

  • Length: scholarly articles are longer, usually at least 8 pages, but there is no set rule, and they usually include diagrams, charts, or graphs

  • Bibliography: scholarly articles always have a list of cited works

  • Language: scholarly articles are written for scholars and not the general public, so the language is specialized and technical

  • Authors: scholarly articles are written by experts who usually have PhD and academic affiliations

  • Some databases will allow you to limit your search to scholarly journals, other databases may provide further details about journals such as whether they are scholarly.
  • Publisher databases will include information about a peer review process if the journal is scholarly

Just because your article is published in a scholarly journal does not mean your article is scholarly, because scholarly journals contain the following items which are NOT scholarly

  • Book Reviews
  • Editorials
  • Letters to the editor
  • Short news items

If you are unsure about using the information you've found, be sure to check with a librarian or your professor.