Identifying what constitutes a scholarly article can be tricky. Here are some tips for identifying scholarly works in library databases:
- Tags in databases that say "peer-reviewed" or "scholarly journal" or "research article"
- Material types in databases may say "research article" or "scholarly article"
- Look for academic or university publishers (e.g. Duke University Press)
- Do a bit of digging on the journal title and its requirements for peer review. Does it require a peer review process for article submission? Does the journal identify which articles are scholarly or peer reviewed?
When in doubt, reach out!
Your professor can clarify what they require for the assignment and a librarian can help you identify if you're on the right track.
