Background Knowledge: Websites that meet the criteria above can be used for background knowledge.
Scholarly Information: Websites that meet the criteria above AND are produced by government agencies, universities, or research centers often contain useful information such as statistics, policies, reports and case studies and are considered scholarly. These websites can be identified by the the following domains contained in the URL/web address:
- .gov (government)
- .org (organizations including charities and international bodies such as UNICEF and UNESCO)
- .edu (education such as colleges and universities)
NOTE: Just because the website holds these domains, it doesn't mean that the information is automatically accurate or scholarly. The criteria for Scholarly Articles below MUST ALSO be met.
Scholarly Articles Have These Criteria:
- Authors are experts. They list their credentials and/or affiliations with institutions. Check the credentials and institutions if you're unsure.
- Sources are cited. There is also a bibliography at the end.
- Editors are involved. There is a process of someone else checking their work.
- Purpose. The goal of the article is to present research for further knowledge and understanding of the topic.
- Length. These are long articles, at least five pages.
- Language is sophisticated. They also use vocabulary which indicates that the reader has some background knowledge.
- Audience is researchers. This article wasn't designed to be read by the general public.
