FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. What makes an article ‘scholarly’?
Labeling an article 'scholarly' means that the information within it has been validated by experts in the related academic field(s). This process of validation often occurs in the form of ‘peer-review’; a practice through which articles are submitted anonymously for analysis and evaluation.
Something to think about: Just because an article is ‘scholarly’ doesn’t necessarily mean that the conclusions (sometimes referred to as ‘findings’) are undisputed; professionals within the same field can and do often disagree on matters of fact and opinion. What the term ‘scholarly’ better reflects is the shared professional understanding of the guidelines and processes through which individuals seek to ask and answer specific questions. Put another way: My spouse and I often argue over the ‘quickest’ way to get to the grocery store, but it’s always understood that what we are arguing about is how fast one can get there while driving.
Q. Okay, I know what a ‘scholarly article’ is. But where do I find them?
Good news! Wor-Wic pays for access to a collection of academic databases, where articles (as well as other types of information such as images or statistics) are collected, stored, and organized by subject heading. Your school’s databases can be found here.