When you hear the words "research" or "outside sources," you may not know what they mean. 

For many of your assignments, you will need to do research to find scholarly sources or outside sources. Thus, understanding how to find and use scholarly sources is important in your academic work.

• Instructors often recommend that you start with the library databases or Research Guides to discover scholarly sources because these resources generally are more focused in terms of subject matter and more reliable than search engines like Google.
• Here is a link to the Library Resources page: Library Resources

Materials on the rest of this page will lead you through the following academic functions:

• Determining the credibility (ethos) and reliability of a source, as well as comprehending the multitude of sources available to you at Baker College for your research.

• Demonstrating and understanding what makes a source scholarly.

• Engaging in key strategies to help you with reading through scholarly texts. 

Link to Scholarly Database to Find Sources 

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  Finding and Using Scholarly Evidence in Writing 

  This explains what credible sources are, where to find them, and how to use them.

• 

  Scholarly Sources: An Overview 

  This document explains what makes a source credible as well as scholarly. It also explains how to evaluate the right type of scholarly source for your writing project.

• Types of Sources 

  This helpful chart explains the various types of sources you may use in scholarly writing.

• Types of Online Sources 

Search the Library Resources for more credible sources, depending on your topic.

Here we have provided additional materials to help you evaluate scholarly writing.

• Characteristics of Scholarly Articles
  • Often have a formal appearance with tables, graphs, and diagrams
  • Always have an abstract or summary paragraph above the text; may have sections describing methodology or method 
  • Articles are written by an authority or expert in the field
  • The language includes specialized terms and the jargon of the discipline
  • Titles of scholarly journals often contain the word "Journal", "Review", "Bulletin", or "Research"
  • Usually have a narrow or specific subject focus
  • Contains original research, experimentation, or in-depth studies in the field
  • Written for researchers, professors, or students in the field
  • Often reviewed by the author's peers before publication (peer-reviewed or refereed)
  • Advertising is minimal or none
• COM 1010 Located Resources Refresher