Scholarly articles are a great resource for finding in-depth, current information on a topic. Scholarly articles have a more narrow focus than books, so you can try searching for more specific topics. 

• This type of article may also be called peer-reviewed articles, or refereed articles. 
• Scholarly articles are one of the most common types of sources your professors will require you to include in your research. 
• Scholarly articles are found in journals, which you can search for in a database. 

The McQuade Library subscribes to over 220 databases that range from general to subject-specific. 

When you are determining whether or not the article you found is a peer-reviewed article, you should consider the following.

Does the article have the following features?

Also consider...

• Is the journal in which you found the article published or sponsored by a professional scholarly society, professional association, or university academic department? Does it describe itself as a peer-reviewed publication? (To know that, check the journal's website). 
• Did you find a citation for it in one of the  databases that includes scholarly publications? (Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, etc.)?  Read the database description to see if it includes scholarly publications.
• In the database, did you limit your search to scholarly or peer-reviewed publications? (See video tutorial below for a demonstration.)
• Is the topic of the article narrowly focused and explored in depth?
• Is the article based on either original research or authorities in the field (as opposed to personal opinion)?
• Is the article written for readers with some prior knowledge of the subject?
• If your field is social or natural science, is the article divided into sections with headings such as those listed below?

(UC Santa Cruz Library)