Because of the level of authority and credibility evident in scholarly articles they contribute a great deal to the overall quality of your papers.
Unlike popular magazine articles, scholarly articles are designed and structured to provide the elements necessary to most thoroughly evaluate the validity and truth of an author's position.
Use of scholarly sources is an expected attribute of academic course work.
In all disciplines, knowledge is built by responding to the ideas and discoveries of those who came before us. Scholarly journal articles are unique in that they require authors to document and make verifiable the sources of the facts, ideas, and methods they used to arrive at their insights and conclusions.
Scholarly articles also strive to identify and discuss the merits of alternative explanations and viewpoints for the positions they espouse. This makes it easier to assess the truth, as well as the strengths and weaknesses, of the claims made in a paper. This is the case for those with knowledge of a subject (for example, your professor), as well as for those just beginning to learn about a subject (for example, you).
~adapted from Eastern Michigan University Library
NOT all articles from scholarly journals are scholarly articles. You can find book reviews, editorials, and others as well in scholarly journals.
Click to open Anatomy of a Scholarly Article, created by NCSU Library. Move your mouse around the screen to see the parts typically found in a scholarly journal article and click each part to read the explanation.
Not sure if Article A is scholarly or not? Check what's in the "Source Type" under "Details" for the correct answer.
Not sure about Article B? Check the the Scholarly vs. Popular Comparison Chart. Still not clear, ask a librarian!