{"id":50208,"count":17,"description":"<strong>Scholarly sources<\/strong> (aka academic sources) are written by experts in their field. They\u2019re supported by evidence and informed by up-to-date research.\r\n\r\nAs a student, you should aim to use scholarly sources in your research and to follow the same kinds of scholarly conventions in your own writing. This means knowing how to:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><a href=index-4120.html#types\">Distinguish between different types of sources<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=index-4120.html#find\">Find sources for your research<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=index-4120.html#evaluate\">Evaluate the relevance and credibility of sources<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=index-4120.html#integrate-cite\">Integrate sources into your text and cite them correctly<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThese skills allow you to support your research using credible and relevant data, and give proper credit to the scholars whose work you engage with.<!--more-->\r\n<h2 id=\"what-is\">What is a scholarly source?<\/h2>\r\nScholarly sources are written by experts and are intended to advance knowledge in a specific field of study.\r\n\r\nThey serve a range of purposes, including:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Communicating original research<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Contributing to the theoretical foundations of a discipline<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Summarizing current research trends<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nScholarly sources use <a href=index-1751.html#formal\">formal<\/a> and <a href=index-1751.html#clear\">technical<\/a> language, as they\u2019re written for readers with knowledge of the discipline.\r\n\r\nThey should:\r\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\r\n \t<li>Aim to educate or inform<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Support their arguments and conclusions with evidence<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Be attributed to a specific author or authors, also indicating their academic qualifications<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThey should not:\r\n<ul class=\"kb-errorlist\">\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Present a biased perspective<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Contain <a href=index-4300.html>spelling or grammatical errors<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Rely on <a href=index-1751.html#emotive\">appeals to emotion<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nScholarly sources should be <a href=index-1751.html#focused\">well structured<\/a> and contain information on the <a href=_-12.html>methodology<\/a> used in the research they describe. They may also include a <a href=index-1833.html>literature review<\/a>. They contain formal <a href=index-1775.html>citations<\/a> wherever information from other sources is referenced.\r\n\r\n<strong>Scholarly books <\/strong>are typically published by a university press or academic publisher. <strong>Scholarly articles <\/strong>are typically longer than popular articles. They are published in discipline-specific journals and are typically peer-reviewed.\r\n<h2 id=\"types\">Types of sources<\/h2>\r\nVarious <a href=index-2682.html>types of sources<\/a> are used in academic writing. Different sources may become relevant at different stages of the <a href=index-2946.html>research process<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThe sources commonly used in academic writing include:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Academic journals<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Scholarly books<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Websites<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Newspapers<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Encyclopedias<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nDepending on your research topic and approach, each of these sources falls into one of three categories:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=index-3421.html#primary\">Primary sources<\/a> provide direct evidence about your research topic (e.g., a diary entry from a historical figure).<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=index-3421.html#secondary\">Secondary sources<\/a> interpret or provide commentary on primary sources (e.g., an academic book).<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=index-3667.html>Tertiary sources<\/a> summarize or consolidate primary and secondary sources but don\u2019t provide original insights (e.g., a bibliography).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nTertiary sources are not typically cited in <a href=index-1794.html>academic writing<\/a>, but they can be used to learn more about a topic.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re unsure what kinds of sources are relevant to your topic, consult your instructor.\r\n<h2 id=\"find\">How do I find scholarly sources?<\/h2>\r\nIn practically any kind of research, you\u2019ll have to <a href=index-3129.html>find sources<\/a> to engage with. How you find your sources will depend on what you\u2019re looking for. The main places to look for sources are:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Research databases:<\/strong> A good place to start is with <a href=index-3449.html>Google Scholar<\/a>. Also consult the website of your institution\u2019s library to see what academic databases they provide access to.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Your institution\u2019s library: <\/strong>Consult your library\u2019s catalog to find relevant sources. Browse the shelves of relevant sections. You can also consult the bibliographies of any relevant sources to find further useful sources.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWhen using academic databases or search engines, you can use <a href=index-3456.html>Boolean operators<\/a> to include or exclude keywords to refine your results.\r\n<h2 id=\"evaluate\">How do I evaluate sources?<\/h2>\r\nKnowing how to <a href=index-3131.html>evaluate sources<\/a> is one of the most important <a href=index-3696.html>information literacy<\/a> skills. It helps you ensure that the sources you use are scholarly, <a href=index-3130.html>credible<\/a>, and relevant to your topic, and that they contain coherent and informed arguments.\r\n\r\nYou can:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Evaluate the credibility of a source<\/strong> using the <a href=index-3689.html>CRAAP test<\/a> or lateral reading<strong>. <\/strong>These help you assess a source\u2019s currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Evaluate a source\u2019s relevance<\/strong> by analyzing how the author engages with key debates, major publications or scholars, gaps in existing knowledge, and research trends.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Evaluate a source\u2019s arguments <\/strong>by analyzing the relationship between a source\u2019s claims and the evidence used to support them.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWhen you are evaluating sources, it\u2019s important to <a href=index-3511.html>think critically<\/a> and to be aware of your own biases.\r\n<h2 id=\"integrate-cite\">Integrating and citing sources<\/h2>\r\nIn addition to finding and evaluating sources, you should also know how to integrate sources into your writing. You can use <a href=index-4301.html>signal phrases<\/a> to introduce sources in your text, and then integrate them by:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"pb-2\"><a href=index-1828.html><strong>Quoting<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> This means including the exact words of another source in your paper. The quoted text must be enclosed in <a href=index-2681.html>quotation marks<\/a> or (for longer quotes) presented as a <a href=index-3712.html>block quote<\/a>. Quote a source when the meaning is difficult to convey in different words or when you want to analyze the language itself.<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"pb-2\"><a href=index-1249.html><strong>Paraphrasing<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> This means putting another person\u2019s ideas into your own words. It allows you to integrate sources more smoothly into your text, maintaining a consistent voice. It also shows that you have understood the meaning of the source. You can do this by yourself or use a <a href=index-988.html>paraphrasing tool<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=index-3262.html><strong>Summarizing<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> This means giving an overview of the essential points of a source. Summaries should be much shorter than the original text. You should describe the key points in your own words and not quote from the original text.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nYou must <a href=index-1775.html>cite a source<\/a> whenever you reference someone else\u2019s work. This gives credit to the author. Failing to cite your sources is regarded as <a href=index-1154.html>plagiarism<\/a> and could get you in trouble.\r\n\r\nThe most common citation styles are <a href=index-1778.html>APA<\/a>, <a href=index-1779.html>MLA<\/a>, and <a href=index-1780.html>Chicago style<\/a>. Each citation style has specific rules for formatting citations.\r\n\r\nThe easiest way to create accurate citations is to use the <a href=index-991.html>free Scribbr Citation Generator<\/a>. Simply enter the source title, URL, or <a href=index-3360.html>DOI<\/a>, and the generator creates your citation automatically.\r\n\r\n[citation-widget style=\"apa,mla\" title=\"Generate accurate citations with Scribbr\"]\r\n\r\n[FAQ-article]","link":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/category\/working-with-sources\/","name":"Working with sources","slug":"working-with-sources","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"meta":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>What Is a Scholarly Source? | Beginner&#039;s Guide<\/title>\n
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