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ENGL 102 - English Composition II (all classes): Scholarly Sources

Library information and resources for English 102 classes

Peer-Reviewed (Refereed) Journals

Some scholarly journals require articles to be approved by a peer group of scholars and academics in the discipline. For example, biologists would review, or referee, articles written by biologists. These journals are called peer reviewed, or refereed, journals.

Not every article in a peer-reviewed journal is a peer-reviewed article. For example, an editor, rather than a group of peers, may make decisions about letters to the editor, book reviews, and news, and other types of non-research articles.

If you are unsure if an article is peer-reviewed, look for the words: submitted [date]; accepted [date], as shown in the illustration further down on this page.

Primary Sources

Some articles in scholarly research journals report the first results of original research. These articles are called primary research articles.

Common Characteristics

Articles in scholarly journals may also be called research journals, peer reviewed journals, or refereed journals. These types of articles share many common features, including:

  • articles always provide the name of the author or multiple authors
  • author(s) always have academic credentials (e.g. biologist, chemist, anthropologist, lawyer)
  • articles often have a sober, serious look
  • articles may contain many graphs and charts; few glossy pages or color pictures
  • author(s) write in the language of the discipline (e.g. biology, chemistry, anthropology, law, etc.)
  • authors write for other scholars, and emerging scholars
  • authors always cite their sources in footnotes, bibliographies, notes, etc.
  • often (but not always) associated with universities or professional organizations.

How to Read a Peer-Reviewed Article

Reading articles that are "above our heads" is one way that we learn and grow as scholars. Don't be afraid to tackle a "hard" article. You'll be surprised at what you can do! 

Here's a more introductory-level option for reading a scientific paper:

1. Take a first pass over the article

  • Read the Abstract.
  • Read the Introduction.
  • Skim the body of the paper, including the research methodology, sample sizes, statistical methods, etc. 
  • Skim the Discussion.
  • Read the Conclusion.

2. If the article looks like something you might want to use, put it aside for a day or so. 

3. Read the article again, following the steps above, but this time use your favorite methods for active reading:

  • highlight
  • make notes in the margins
  • identify important concepts
  • identify words you need to look up in other sources

4. You may need to read an article three or four (or more) times, but that's OK! The secret is to give yourself enough time to read, re-read, and absorb the information. 

5. Your instructor or a librarian are happy to help you interpret articles.

IRIS Tutorial: Scholarly Journals

screenshot of IRIS tutorial opening page: Scholarly Journals & Scholarly Articles

Typical Sections of Research Articles

Research articles in many disciplines are organized into standard sections. Although these sections may vary by discipline, common sections include:

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Materials and Methods
  • Analysis
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Reference

It's not hard to spot these sections; just look for bold headings in the article, as shown in these illustrations:

How to Read A Scientific Article

This infographic is from Elsevier, a scientific publisher. For a text only version, click here.

Subjects: English

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