Scholarly Resources
University-level research usually requires the ability to:
- find scholarly resources;
- distinguish between popular and scholarly resources;
- select scholarly sources.
In order to do these things, you need to understand how to judge the scholarship of a resource.
When deciding if a resource is scholarly, think JABsa.
J-A-B-s-a
Look at the:
These are the three most important things to consider.
Additionally, you can consider the:
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Follow the links for each of the criteria to learn how to evaluate them.
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If the resource is an article, consider the journal in which it was published.
There are plenty of things to look at, to assess the likelihood it's scholarly.
If it's a website or a book, some of the same criteria might apply. |
Can the author be considered an expert on the topic? Why?
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Is there a significant bibliography, appropriate to the size and content of the paper?
Scholars always build on the work of others and always cite their sources.
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Where did you find this resource? Was it a reliable, scholarly source?
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Most commonly found with journal articles, an abstract describes the paper.
It should contain information that indicates it's scholarly.
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JABsa helps you remember where to look when determining if a resource is scholarly.
The first three criteria (Journal, Author, Bibiography) are the most important to consider, and the last two (source, abstract) provide extra guidance if you're still not sure.
Often only one or two criteria are needed to make a decision.
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