LibAnswers: IED Library, Dar es Salam, Tanzania​

The following characteristics can help you determine if the article you’re looking at is scholarly:

• Author(s) name included: Scholarly articles are written by experts or researchers, so make sure that the author’s name, along with their institution and scholarly credentials are included.

• Technical or specialized language: Scholarly articles will often use technical or highly specialized language.
• Written for professionals: Scholarly articles are published in academic journals. Academic journals have titles that suggest they are written for professionals in a particular field of study and not for the public.
• Charts, graphs, and diagrams: Scholarly articles communicate research results. They will often include charts, graphs, or diagrams.
• Length: Scholarly articles tend to be long. They are usually five or more pages.
• Bibliography included: Scholarly articles will always include references to the sources cited or a bibliography.