Communication in Media Organizations: MSP 4696

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).

Library Search is your gateway to discover books, journal articles, and much more at Temple University Libraries. Additional information can be found in our Library Search FAQ's.

Source Types

What Types of Sources Do I Need?

The Information Life Cycle

When choosing scholarly articles, consider some of the following:

• Read the abstract, if it has one

• Skim the introduction and conclusion, or if they are not marked off by headings, skim the first six or seven paragraphs and the last four or five

• Skim for section headings, and read the first and last paragraph of those sections

• Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic

Can't Locate Your Article Online?

• Use the  link found in the Library Search or the button available from most other databases to locate the entire article online.
• If your article is not available in print or via another research database, request it via ILLiad (interlibrary loan).