To determine if your sources are scholarly (usually peer reviewed), you will need to do some research. Keep in mind that while databases contain many scholarly sources, not all sources in a database are scholarly. Here are a few things to consider when evaluating a source:
| Author | Publisher | Audience | Content | Timeliness |
|
Are author names provided? |
Who is the publisher of the information? | Who is the intended audience? | Are sources cited within the text? | When was the item published? |
|
Are the authors' credentials provided? |
Is the publisher an academic institution, scholarly or professional organization? | Is the language specific to those with knowledge of a specific discipline? | If the sources are cited, where are those sources from? | How frequently is the journal published? |
| Are the credentials relevant to the information? | What is the purpose for publishing this information? | Are conclusions based on evidence? | How recently was the web page updated? | |
| Are the authors connected to professional organizations? | What is the process for getting published (peer-review)? | Is there a bibliography or works cited? | Have other publications referenced this source? |
Subjects: History, Literature, Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics. Art.
Multidisciplinary index to peer-reviewed journal and magazine articles; some full-text; constructs bibliography in five different citation styles.
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