Man: This is the Australia National University Library.
Narrator: And this video is about how to use
scholarly sources in your research.
One of the first things students are told
by their lecturers is to ensure they use
scholarly sources in their assignments.
They stress this constantly so it must be important, right?
But what makes an information source scholarly?
Well, for starters, what they are doing here
is ensuring that you do not use popular sources
as the basis for your research.
You are probably more familiar
with popular information sources
like magazines and newspapers.
These are popular because they can be readily understood
and consumed by just about anyone.
By popular, think "The Australian," "The New York Times,"
"Vogue," "Women's Weekly."
But it also includes publications
like "National Geographic," "Popular Psychology,"
and "New Scientist."
Scholarly sources are different.
They are typically found only in specialized publications,
such as academic journals and books,
and generally, you access these through libraries
and online databases.
So how do you work out what is scholarly and what is popular
so you are citing the right kinds of sources
in your research?
First up, look at who wrote it.
This is pretty important.
If it is scholarly, it is typically going to be written
by researchers and academics, people like your lecturers,
who are affiliated with a university,
or a reputable research institution.
If it is popular, it is usually written by journalists
or commentators, who may or may not be specialists
in the topic they're writing on.
They also have very different purposes
and intended audiences.
This changes how they frame the writing.
Scholarly sources present original research
to other researchers and academics.
So this work often contains a lot of highly specialized,
technical language, and a specialized vocabulary
that you just don't see in popular sources,
which use everyday, accessible language
to inform, entertain, or persuade the general public.
Another definite giveaway is references.
Popular sources typically do not have reference lists,
or they have very minimal ones.
Scholarly sources, on the other hand,
always include an extensive reference list.
So if this is missing,
you are probably looking at a popular source.
This lack of a reference list,
which is critical for linking the information
presented in the article to related research,
makes popular sources much more difficult to fact-check
and trace the origins of the information,
which is probably why lecturers tell us
to use scholarly sources in the first place.
So even if the article is in a well-respected magazine,
like "New Scientist," instead of citing it,
go to the library databases
and look up the original research
that the article is referring to.
While a reference list is not a guarantee
that research is scholarly, it can be a solid indicator.
But always review any reference list for anomalies,
like this article:
"Immediate Treatment for Early Stage SARS-CoV-2 Infections."
It has an extensive citation list, but on closer inspection,
if you go to the actual sources it is citing,
they do not back up what the article is claiming they say.
In this case, the reference list is being used
to trick the reader into thinking
it is a legitimate scholarly article.
Spoiler alert!
It is not.
Now, full disclosure, determining if a source
is popular or scholarly is not always straightforward
and there may be instances where an information source
has some features of both a scholarly and a popular source.
Asking the following questions
can help you decide for yourself
if what you are citing in your research is indeed scholarly.
Is the author qualified in the field they're writing about?
Who is the intended audience?
Is the language academic and unbiased?
Is there an extensive reference list?
Do the references actually verify
the content of the article?
If you are still in doubt, it is always best practice
to check with your lecturer or supervisor.
And don't forget the ANU Library is here to help you
navigate the sometimes confusing world
of scholarly information sources.
We have an amazing online collection
and loads of guides available to support you.
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Having trouble or need some specific assistance?
If in doubt, reach out.
You can always contact the ANU Library for support.
We are here to help.