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Scholarly Sources. How to find scholarly sources using GMU Libraries databases. What are Scholarly Sources?. Webster’s Third International Dictionary defines scholarly as:
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Scholarly Sources How to find scholarly sources using GMU Libraries databases.
What are Scholarly Sources? • Webster’s Third International Dictionary defines scholarly as: Concerned with academic study, especially research, exhibiting the methods and attitudes of a scholar, and having the manner and appearance of a scholar.
Types of Periodical Sources: • 1. Scholarly Sources Come in the form of scholarly journals. • 2. Trade Sources Come in the form of trade journals. • 3. Popular Sources Come in the form of popular magazines, newspapers, or other periodicals.
Popular Sources • Authors • Staff or freelance writers • Not subject experts • May or may not receive credit. • Appearance • Visually appealing. • Paid advertising, photographs, color. • Shorter articles. • No bibliographies or bibliographic references.
Popular Sources, cont. • Content • Might report on new research, but as a news item, feature story, opinion or editorial piece. • Audience • General public. • Examples • Newsweek, Time, The Economist, National Geographic, and Psychology Today.
Trade Sources • Authors • Staff or freelance writers • May or may not be subject expert • Appearance • Visually appealing • Paid advertising, many photographs and color. • Content • Reports on problems or issues of a particular industry. • Might contain industry terms or specialized vocabulary.
Trade Sources, cont. • Audience • People in that particular trade or industry. • Examples • Billboard, Variety, American Libraries, and Computer Week.
Scholarly Sources • Authors • Subject experts. • Receive credit. • Credentials will be listed. • Appearance • Little or no advertising. • Lack color and glossy photographs. • Likely to have graphs, tables and charts. • Articles are lengthy with full bibliographies and references.
Scholarly Sources, cont. • Content • Includes reports on original research and theories. • Might include an abstract. • Gone through a peer-review or referee process. • Contains specialized vocabulary of the discipline. • Audience • Scholars, researchers, students. • Examples • Journal of American History, Science, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, and Lancet.
What does “peer-reviewed” mean? • Scholarly publications go through a peer-review or referee process. • In this process, subject experts review the article to see if it is suitable for publication in a scholarly journal.
How can I check to see if a publication is peer-reviewed? • Many journals will have information about peer-review in the print copy of the journal or on their website. • You can also check to see if the journal is listed as refereed in Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory. • Many databases such as Science Direct and JSTOR only have these sorts of peer-reviewed, scholarly articles.
Is there a place I can easily find scholarly articles? • Both Expanded Academic ASAP and ProQuest databases allow you to limit your search results to scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. Just click the appropriate box. • These databases are located at library.gmu.edu under the link Databases
You are Responsible… • When you select the option to limit your search to peer-reviewed, scholarly sources, you still have the responsibility to ensure that information is truly scholarly. • Don’t just assume – verify!
Remember… • Many faculty use the terms peer-reviewed, refereed, and scholarly interchangeably. • Don’t be confused – use the information in your class handout to assist you in deciding what sources will be best to included in your papers. • If you have questions, you can always find a librarian…
Librarians are available… • In person, at any of the four George Mason University Libraries… • Via E-mail at the Help with Research link on the library homepage • Via phone – the numbers are available at the Help with Research page, under Contact Us • Or the Ask-A-Librarian, the virtual reference service, available on the homepage as well.
And… • Here at library.gmu.edu under “Help with Research”