Human Resource Development

Even databases that include scholarly articles do not do so exclusively.
Know the signs of a scholarly (research) article!

• Lists the academic affiliation/credentials of the author(s)
• Lengthy  (typically 10+ pp.)
• Has an analytical tone — reporting on research or analyzing theory, rather than merely giving advice/opinion
• Chock-full of references, with a substantial bibliography

Pro Tips:

• Not every piece within a scholarly journal is a scholarly (research) article –  scholarly journals often publish book reviews and the occasional opinion piece/letter to the editor.
  Such pieces can help you better understand your research topic, but should not be confused with scholarly articles that report research findings.
• Not all databases include shortcuts to limit to scholarly articles.
• Occasionally, databases misclassify a trade or professional/practitioner journal as “scholarly.”