Scholarly Sources
Scholarly sources are also known under the name of academic sources. They are created by professional scientists and researchers in a specific narrow field and are always supported by evidence received from the latest research.
When your assignment is to write an academic paper, you need scholarly sources to follow their ideas and directions. Therefore, you need to be able to do the following:
- understand the difference between various types of sources
- pick out the sources that are relevant to your research work
- assess the usefulness and credibility of them for your paper
- properly use the sources in your paper and cite them correctly
If you have these skills, it will be easier for you to support your ideas with authoritative conclusions and evaluations by using the data and outcomes from previous research on your topic. In this way, you will give credit to the findings made by other scientists and continue their research.
A Scholarly Source: What Does It Mean?
Scholarly sources are meant to advance and promote knowledge in a specific sphere.
The purpose of scholarly sources:
- describing the initial research to the followers
- adding new information to the theoretical basis of the subject
- making conclusions and summaries on the present-day trends related to a specific research project
Such sources include a lot of terminologies and technical language, so they are meant for those who are knowledgeable in their subject.
| Scholarly sources should perform the following functions to be useful: | On the contrary, such sources should not: |
|---|---|
|
|
Remember!
In addition, scholarly sources need to be understandable, well-structured, and informative. They have to be based on the distinct methodology specific to the research they speak about. The sources may contain a literature review with formal citations if there is information from other sources used in them.
The scholarly source often comes in the form of a book released by academic publishers or universities. There are also journals that contain articles on the specific subject or field of study. Such articles are much longer than popular publications in magazines. They need to be peer-reviewed before publishing.
Sources and Their Types
Academic writing can use various sources. They differ by their types and relevance to separate stages of a research process.
The most common sources used in academic research projects are the following:
- scientific books
- scholarly articles and official documents in newspapers
- academic journals
- encyclopedias
- academic websites
The choice of sources depends on your research topic and your methodological approach. There are three categories of sources divided according to these criteria. They are the following:
- Primary sources. They provide immediate evidence on the topic, such as public figures’ diaries or the documents that regulate the subject matter of your research.
- Secondary sources. They include different interpretations and comments on primary sources. For example, every academic book or research paper can become a secondary source.
- Tertiary sources. They put primary and secondary sources together, summarize the ideas in them, and avoid providing fresh thoughts or outcomes. For example, a bibliography can be considered a tertiary source.
You do not need to cite tertiary sources in your paper. Their aim is to give you more information about the topic and where you can find something interesting on this subject matter.
You need to talk to your instructor about the choice of scholarly sources if you are not sure which ones are relevant to your topic.
How to Look For Scholarly Sources?
The first step of working with scholarly sources is finding them. There are several places where to look for the sources, depending on the type of research you are doing. They are research databases and the library of your institution. The best database to start with is Google Scholar. You can also look through your institution’s library’s website. They indicate what academic databases are available for your institution.
If you go to the library, start with the catalog. You also need to look through the relevant sections on the shelves. If you find one source, look at its bibliography. You will find other sources there that relate to your topic.
When you prefer to use academic databases on different search engines, use Boolean operators. They will help you add or eliminate certain keywords to make your search more specific.
How Can You Evaluate the Found Sources?
You must know how to evaluate the sources found to save time and effort. This skill is helpful if your deadline is tight. You will be able to decide immediately whether the source you have found is scientific, authoritative, and relevant to your research. You will also see if this source contains the necessary arguments and useful explanations.
To be sure that you have picked out the most credible and relevant sources, you should do the following:
- use the CRAAP test (so-called lateral reading) that helps evaluate the accuracy, meeting the purpose, authority, relevance, and novelty of the source;
- analyze the correspondence between the source’s statements and evidence used to support them to ensure the relevance of the found source;
- analyze the author’s attitudes to the main debates, current publications, other scholars’ ideas, gaps in the knowledge of the subject, and the current trends to evaluate the relevance of the found information.
Try to use critical thinking when you are picking out the sources to avoid bias.
How to Incorporate and Cite Sources
After you have found and evaluated sources, you need to incorporate them into your research work. Use signal phrases to introduce a source and then explain it in the context of your paper. The following techniques are helpful for this purpose:
- Quoting - you include the exact words of the author in your text. You need to use quotation marks here, or if the quotation is long, use a block quote. You can utilize this technique if it is impossible to convey the exact meaning of the quotation by paraphrasing it. You may also need to include your own analysis of the author’s statements and their language in your paper.
- Paraphrasing - you describe the ideas found in the source in your own words. You are free to integrate the source in your paper by using your personal voice and your attitudes to it. If you paraphrase the ideas, it will show your readers that you understand the source properly.
- Summarizing - you provide a clear summary of all the interesting ideas from the source. Such a summary is much shorter than the initial text because you need to indicate only the basic points in it. You use your original words and comments here without direct quoting.
No matter which technique you choose, you need to give credit to the author by the appropriate citation. If you do not cite the source, you will be accused of plagiarism and punished by your academic institution.
Use the citation style that your institution requires. The most widely used citation formats are MLA, APA, and Chicago. Remember that each style has specific rules of formatting, and you need to follow them.
If you want to save time and make accurate citations following all the requirements, you may use our Citation Generator. You enter the source and all the information about it, and the tool will generate your citation entry automatically.
Final Thoughts
When you create your research paper and need to cite scholarly sources, make sure you know what they are about, what types they are divided into, and how to use them properly in your paper.
Knowing how to find, evaluate, and cite scholarly sources is essential. Your academic writing will become easier and more consistent. Moreover, this skill will help you avoid plagiarism. Your academic papers will get higher scores, and you can make more progress if you properly use scholarly sources.