Scholar: A highly educated specialist who conducts research in a particular branch of study
Periodical: A type of publication produced as an open-ended series at regular intervals, or “periods,” such as daily, monthly, quarterly or annually
Scholarly/Academic Journal: A type of periodical that includes original research articles written by researchers and experts in a particular academic discipline, providing a forum for the production and critique of knowledge
Research Article: A formally written article that describes new knowledge or ideas based on original research, analysis and/or interpretation
Peer Review: The process by which scholars critically evaluate each other's research article prior to publication in an academic journal.
Editor: An individual who reviews, corrects, and determines the final content of a publication<
Scholarly Communication:"The system through which research and other scholarly writings are created, evaluated for quality, disseminated to the scholarly community, and preserved for future use. The system includes both formal means of communication, such as publication in peer-reviewed journals, and informal channels, such as electronic listservs" (ACRL)
How to Identify a Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed Journal Article
Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles will have most of the characteristics listed below. Ask yourself these questions and look at the article to check if if the way it looks and is written indicates it is a reliable, accurate source:
1. Is it written by a scholar? |
Look for clues that indicate the author(s) is a scholar/researcher:
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2. What is it about? Who's the intended audience? |
Check if the purpose of the article is to provide original research that further our understanding about a topic:
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3. How is it structured? |
Look at the length, formatting, and headings/sections inside the article:
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4. How is it written? |
Review the language, tone, and point of view of the article:
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5. What's the publication type? |
Look for clues that tell you the article is published inside of an academic/scholarly journal:
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5 Key Characteristics: |
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Additional Clues (typical but not necessary): |
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The following terms and characteristics indicate an article is news or opinion-based information or published in a trade or professional journal.
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