Source: http://www.affiliateblogonline.com
Before you begin your research, learn about clues to look for when identifying scholarly articles.
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SCHOLARLY literature:
- contains the study methods and results of research performed by the author(s) of the article
- is written by/for those with some knowledge in a particular field of study - a certain level of familiarity with the subject is assumed
- gives the professional affiliation of the researcher in order to establish his/her credentials in their field
- is extensively referenced - authors must cite the work of others as it pertains to their own work
- is reviewed by peers who work in the same field (i.e. "peer-reviewed")
POPULAR literature:
- may be written by experts in a given field or by professional writers
- is written for a lay audience
- does not usually contain references
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Additionally, it is important to understand the difference between PRIMARY and SECONDARY sources.
PRIMARY literature:
- contains an "experimental methods" section
- recounts experiments that have been been performed by the authors of the articles themselves
- contains "raw data" compiled by the authors which will usually be presented in tables or charts
- attempts to address a specific hypothesis
- has references which give pertinent background information for the hypothesis being addressed in the paper
SECONDARY literature:
- often takes the form of a review article
- contains a summary of experiments performed by the author as well as other researchers
- may contain tables and figures, but usually not as many as a primary source
- is a good place to go to learn about a field of study with which one is unfamiliar
- has references which give a history of the research that has been done in a specific area of study
TERTIARY literature:
- is often comprised of compilations of primary and secondary literature
- is a good place to go to learn basic principles and facts about a particular field of study
- can become outdated as information usually takes a while to find it's way from a primary source to a tertiary source
- includes: almanacs, encyclopedias, text books, manuals, dictionaries, etc.
