Some point in your academic career, your instructor or professor will ask you to find scholarly articles, sometimes referred to as "peer-reviewed" articles. These materials usually usually have the following criteria:

1. They are written by experts - look for an author's credentials or affiliations.

2. They are written for other experts or people in academia. Think of each scholarly work as a voice in an ongoing conversation to which you will add your voice when you write a paper. 

3. They use scholarly language with technical, discipline specific vocabulary.

4. They provide verifiable and reliable evidence for claims. Even if the resource is a general history/overview it will contain well researched information that the reader can verify.

5. They may be peer reviewed. Many journals go through an editorial process where other experts review and assess the information. 

The Basics of Scholarly Resources | California State University, Chico