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Library "Do-It-Yourself" (DIY)

Determining whether a book is scholarly

Is this Book Scholarly?

There are several clues to determine whether a book is scholarly or not:

Publisher: Who is the publisher? Do they specialize in this field? Is it published by a university press such as Oxford University Press or University of Florida Press? Take a look at the publisher’s website if you are unsure of their subject.

Bias: Does the publisher have a religious or political affiliation? Consider how this affiliation might affect the scholarship or content of the book.


Cited Sources: Scholarly books will have cited references or a bibliography. Most books written for general audiences will not. Consider the quality of the sources. Note if the bibliographies include scholarly journal articles, primary sources, as well as other scholarly books, by experts in the field.

Content: Consider accuracy, bias, audience appropriateness, graphics, charts, and illustrations. Note a book's structure or internal organization such as preface, introduction, table of contents, conclusion, and index. 

Search for Book Reviews to read and evaluate the reviewers' opinions.

Here are a few databases that will allow you to search, read, and evaluate the reviewers' opinions: