Evaluating Scholarly Articles |
What is a scholarly article?
A scholarly article has the following features:
A. Examples of non-scholarly articles:
"Capoeira."
Sue Scout's Homepage. <http://www.suescout.net/capoeira.htm>
This article
contains a list of links to other capoeira sites.
Problems: We don't know if Sue Scout is the author of "Capoeira," or someone else is the author of the article, and Sue has included it on her homepage. Because we do not know the source, we do not know if anyone has checked the article's facts. A list of links to other sites is not the same as a list of specified sources.
"The
Black Plague." PBS. Copyright 2002. <http://www.pbs.org/blackplague2356.html>
This article contains a list of links to other universities whose history departments
maintain websites on the history of the black plague
Problems: Although PBS is probably an accurate source of information, we do not know if the article has been reviewed by competent peer editors. Again, a list of links, even to university sites, is not the same as a list of specified sources.
B. Examples of scholarly articles:
Jones,
Sally. "Cancerous Melanoma in Infants." New England Journal of Medicine.
8.2 (1990): 33-68. Reprinted with permission. <http://www.medicinenet.com/children/cancer/jones.html>
This article contains a Works Cited page.
Check: There is an author, a title, a date, a journal, a volume and issue number, and a year. The pages are listed. Dr. Jones shows that she got her data from other reliable, peer-reviewed sources.
Marcus,
David. "Making Steroids at Home," Journal of Sports Management 88.5
(2004): 65-89. EBSCOhost Lehigh University Coll. Lib., Bethlehem. 30 October 2005
<http://web.epnet.com>.
This article contains Endnotes and a Bibliography.
Check:
There is an author, a title, a date, a journal, a volume and issue number, and
a year. The pages are listed. Mr. Marcus's inclusion of endnotes and bibliography
suggest that he has given considerable research and thought to this subject.
What research range should a good bibliography display?
I. A creative range of primary documents:
II. A robust set of secondary sources:
III. A complete range of content within the secondary articles:
Questions to generate creative & complete research
Has
anyone written a first-had account about his or her experiences with my topic?
Is
my topic area something that a local or state or federal government official would
have recorded?
Is anyone gathering visual information on my topic? (archaeological
artifacts, films, radio, TV)
What
kind of database would have articles on my topic?
What library would specialize
in my topic?
Is there a professional organization devoted to my topic?
Would
museums have an exhibit on my topic?
Would my topic be included in a company
history?
Do I have one or two articles
that give an overview of my topic?
Do I have five or six articles that give
in-depth details about my topic?
If there is a controversy associated with
my topic, have I gathered articles on both sides?