Scholarly Articles

Who writes them?

Most scholarly articles are written by researchers or college professors or graduate students.  Scholarly publications almost always list the author's affiliation and address, so that you can verify the author's credentials.

"No articles by owls, I see..."

Where are they published?

Some publications specialize in scholarly articles.  Many (but not all) of these publications are run by professional associations, such as the Organization of American Historians or the American Medical Association.

Some sample journal names where you may find scholarly articles:

The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

Do scholarly journals always have the word "Journal" in the title?

Not always, but very often they do.  And just to keep things confusing, some publications that are not scholarly also have the word "Journal" in the title... like Ladies' Home Journal and Wall Street Journal!

Are there other names for "Scholarly Articles?"

Yes!  Sometimes they are called Refereed articles, and sometimes they're called Peer-reviewed articles.

These terms refer to the process of reviewing the articles before they are published.  The publisher sends the articles to people who are also experts (or peers*) in the discipline.  These reviewers (or referees) decide whether the article presents new, important research before the publisher agrees to publish the article.  The article will not be published unless these referees approve it.

This demanding review process prior to publication makes scholarly articles  especially popular with your instructors, because they know you are using reliable sources for your papers!

*PEER = A person of equal status or achievement.

Are scholarly articles easy to read?

Not very often.  In most cases, the authors use very advanced vocabulary and terms that are used just in their particular subject area.  They can be very challenging to read, as you start out.  Once you get to know more of the terms and concepts in your subject area, you may find them easier and easier to understand.

Where can I find some scholarly articles?

The easiest way to identify some scholarly articles on the topic you are researching is to use our journal databases. Checkmark the box peer-reviewed publications when you do a search!