What are credible/scholarly sources?
Answer
For most papers, you will be expected to include information from outside sources to support your ideas. Some papers will have the expectation that sources be scholarly or peer reviewed. This means that the sources have to be written by experts in the topic, typically scholars actively doing original research on the topic. They are usually written for other experts and professionals in the field. 'Peer reviewed' means that before publishing, the article was approved by other experts in the field.
Examples of scholarly sources include, but are not limited to:
- An article published in an academic journal
- A book written by a scholar about the topic you are researching
- A study done about the topic
Sources that are not scholarly (sometimes called 'popular' sources) include:
- An article from a news publication like CNN or Fox News
- Wikipedia (this should never be used in your papers)
- Social media posts
- An individual person's blog
- Personal opinions from people around you
- Your favorite TV show or movie
**Please note that while these sources are not scholarly, popular sources can still have a place in your paper as long as they are highly credible, like news organizations or government websites. Evaluate your sources carefully to choose the best sources for your paper.**
Where to find scholarly sources:
The best place to find scholarly sources is through the databases provided through the KCC library (https://kcc.libguides.com/az.php). We have a list of nearly 50 different databases that focus on different topics, and some databases might be better suited for certain areas of study. Here are a few databases that are great starting points:
- Academic Search Complete (https://kcc.libguides.com/academicsearchcomplete) covers a variety of topics and is a great starting point for most papers. At the top of the page, you can select additional databases to search from with topics like business or nursing. When searching, make sure to check the 'Peer reviewed' box on the left side to ensure that it gives you scholarly/peer reviewed sources.
- JSTOR (https://kcc.libguides.com/jstor) is another great multi-disciplinary database. It tends to have more articles on topics within the humanities
The KCC Library also has a selection of Subject Guides, with lists of helpful information for finding research about specific subjects. This is a great place to start if your topic fits within one of these sbjects: https://kcc.libguides.com/