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WF 105: Research and Rhetoric

P. Rivers

What are some characteristics of scholarly sources?

Scholarly sources generally share the following characteristics:


Purpose		 To advance knowledge in a field of study, often in the form of original research or analysis

Format		 Journal articles, books, book chapters; usually 5 pages or longer

Authors		 Experts in the field, such as professors, scientists, etc.

Language		 Text-heavy, with advanced language and terminology from the discipline

Sources		 Includes citations and a bibliography, works cited, or references list

Identifying Scholarly Articles

Read about the characteristics common to scholarly articles and check out corresponding examples. Remember that not all scholarly articles are peer-reviewed.

 The purpose of a scholarly article is generally to advance knowledge in a field of study, often in the form of original research or analysis. Look for a statement indicating that the authors conducted original research or analysis.
Example: We analyze the causes of this stark contrast in status and evaluate what ecological factors contribute to the extinction risk for all 106 avian scavenger species.

 Scholarly articles are generally at least 5 pages long.
Example: Biological Conservation 198 (2016) 220-228

 

 They often include an abstract, which summarizes the contents of the article.
Example: Abstract. Vultures, which are the only obligate vertebrate scavengers, have experienced the most rapid decline in conservation status of any group of birds over the past decade...

 

 They are usually divided into sections and include headings such as literature review, methodology, results, and conclusion.
Example: Contents. Introduction. Material and Methods. Results. Discussion.

 Authors of scholarly articles are experts in their fields. Their names are usually listed with their credentials (i.e., institutional affiliations and/or degrees)
Evan R. Buechley, University of Utah, Department of Biology; Çağan H. Şekercioğlu, College of Sciences, Koç University

 Scholarly articles are text-heavy and use formal language.
Example: Scavenging, or the consumption of carrion, is a common foraging strategy and a critical component of ecosystem ecology.

 

 They may include tables, charts, and/or graphs that convey information.
Example: Table 1 Description of traits used in the random forest analysis.

 Scholarly articles include in-text citations.
Example: Over the last few decades, vulture populations have declined at catastrophic rates, especially in Asia and Africa (Buechley and Şekercioğlu, 2016; Ogada et al., 2012a, 2012b, 2015).

 

 They always include either extensive footnotes and/ or a list of sources at the end of the article, often called works cited, reference list, or bibliography.
Example: References list