Graphic Novels and Comic Books

Scholarly sources -- such as peer-reviewed journal articles and books published by academic presses -- are written by credentialed scholars who are experts in a specific discipline or field. The information they produce is vetted before publication by other scholarly experts from the same discipline in a review process. That process is called peer review and it helps to evaluate the quality of scholarship, reduce bias, identify conflicts of interest, and assess overall contributions to the discipline.

When and Why You Should Use Scholarly Sources:

• You need information that is based on research and factual evidence
• You need information from a recognized scholarly expert on a topic
• You need in-depth analysis and/or a historical overview of a topic
• You need a summary of prior research done on a topic
• You need suggestions for additional sources to use (tip: look at the references, footnotes, or bibliography)

Remember: Scholarly sources may include terminology or jargon that is used within that discipline and can seem dry or intense to read. Also, scholars may organize their scholarly works differently in order to document evidence that either supports or refutes claims and conclusions. Look for visual cues in the source to help guide you to relevant information (e.g. headings, sections, bullets, or charts/graphs in articles, and table of contents and indexes in books).

Some key search terms:

• graphic novels
• comic book
• comics
• sequential art
• comix (alternative press publications)
• the name of an author (e.g. Alan Moore)
• the name of an artist (e.g. Jack Kirby)
• the name of a publisher (e.g. Fantagraphics)