If you’re unsure whether the source you’re reading is scholarly ask yourself these questions:
Who is the intended audience? Can you tell if this source is written for other experts in the field?
Does the author have credentials? See what you can find out about the author by looking them up. Have they published work before?
Is the text peer-reviewed? Peer-reviewed articles are written by experts and reviewed by several other experts in the field before the article is published in the journal in order to ensure the article’s quality. In most cases, the reviewers do not know who the author of the article is, so that the article succeeds or fails on its own merit, not the reputation of the expert. If you are not sure if the journal publishes peer-reviewed articles, look up information about the journal. It will usually say if the content is peer-reviewed in the journals “About” section.
Is there a reference list or Works Cited page? Check the end of the article or study. If this is a digital document with links, click on the links to make sure they are relevant.