Level

Scholarly information is published in academic journals or books, often in English. What distinguishes scholarly information from other forms of information is that it is published by and for academics/scientists.

An article from a scientific journal is structured according to the same format:

  1.   abstract
  2.   research question
  3.   theoretical framework
  4.   method of research
  5.   result
  6.   conclusion
  7.   bibliography

Scholarly journals often involve peer review. This means that prior to publication, the article is reviewed by two or more scientists who specialize in the subject of the article. They assess the article and the research described in it for quality, originality, reliability and validity.

With books, it is a little more difficult to assess whether you are dealing with a scholarly publication. Usually we then look at the publisher of the book (e.g. University presses) and whether the author and target audience are scholars. See assessing books what else to look for.

Peer review can also be involved with books. We then talk about edited volumes or edited books. An edited volume is a book with chapters written by different scientists. One or more scholars then provide the peer review as editor.

Subject-oriented information is specialized information in a particular field. The content focuses on practical applications and is written for professional practice. The language ranges from simple to complex, but is always focused on the field of study. Magazines with subject oriented information are also called professional journals. Examples of professional magazines are Advertising Age and Chemical Week.


General interest information is information on a variety of topics and written for a wide audience. The language is simpler and source citations are infrequent. Consider a magazine such as the Quest or the National Geographic. These magazines may contain articles on scientific topics or written by scientists, but because of the wide target audience, the label general interest applies.