There are several clues to look for when determining whether a book is scholarly:
Publisher: Who is the publisher? Do they specialize in this field? Is it published by a University Press (e.g., Oxford University Press, Indiana University Press)? Take a look at the publisher’s website if you are unsure of their focus.
Bias: Does the publisher have a religious or political affiliation? Consider how this affiliation might affect the scholarship and/or content of the book.
Authority: Who is the author? Do they have credentials that give them authority on the subject? Are they recognized by other scholars in the field?
Cited Sources: Scholarly books will have cited references or a bibliography. Most books written for general audiences will not. Consider the quality of the sources: look for inclusion of journal articles, primary sources, and other scholarly books by experts in the field.
Content: Consider accuracy, bias, audience appropriateness, graphics/charts/illustrations. Look for books that have clear structure and organization, such as a preface, introduction, table of contents, conclusion, and index.
Still not sure? Talk to your instructor or a librarian.
Courtesy Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library at SJSU
How do I know if a resource is scholarly (also called peer-reviewed)?
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Scholarly Sources:
Here is an explanation and short video on how to limit to these types of resources when searching the Library homepage. |
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What about Popular sources, like magazines? Popular Sources:
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Information found on the Internet is not filtered for quality. It is up to you to evaluate websites using the CRAP test: |
| Currency |
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| Reliability |
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| Authority |
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| Purpose/Point of View |
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