GGR305H5: Biogeography (Winter 2024)

What do Scholarly Journal Articles look like?

• describe and present the hypothesis, methodology and results of research
• includes an abstract or a short summary of the artilce
• includes a list of references or a bibliography
• are peer-reviewed or refereed
• very specific in topic focus
• results of research are often more current than what might appear in scholarly book
• author(s) names include research affliations
• text is written for a research audience 
• little or no advertising displayed

What do Scholarly Books look like?

• presents research findings with a broader scope
• includes a list of references or a bibliography
• author(s) names include research affliations
• text is written for a research audience 
• publisher is often (but not always) a academic or university press

Video produced by UTM Library staff.

• How do i tell the difference between Popular and Scholarly Sources? (Guide and interactive quiz from University of Arizona)

Consider these criteria when evaluating your research resources:

Authority --Who is the author? What is their background/expertise?

Publisher information --Is it an academic /university press?

Currency --Is the information up to date? Is more recent research available?

Audience Level --Is the text written for a research audience? University students? General public? What is the tone of the writing? Serious or breezy?

Content Reliability/Accuracy -- is the information presented fact or opinion? Is it referenced? Can it be confirmed by other sources?