A great place to start looking for scholarly sources is Summon or the BGSU Library Catalog.
Once background knowledge as been gathered and a research questions posed, research can begin in order to answer that question. While the encyclopedias used in the pre-search are great sources for contextual knowledge, the sources you seek in the research process are meant to help you form and back-up your own argument or point-of-view, thus these sources must the scholarly. The bellow chart can help you make that determination.
When conducting your research, it is important for you to distinguish between journal articles and magazine articles. Databases are used to find and identify articles from peer-reviewed journals and other types of documents.
Journal articles are usually referred to as "scholarly," while magazine articles are commonly considered "popular."
Consider these points when differentiating between journals and magazines:
| Criteria | Scholarly Journal | Popular Magazine/Blog/Online Publication |
| Audience | Academics and/or Researchers, Professionals | General Public |
| Authors | Experts and/or Specialists | Journalists and/or Freelance Writers |
| Editorial Review/Peer Review | Journal Editorial Board and peer reviewers | Professional Editors |
| Reference/Works Cited | Yes | Not always required or provided |
Although Summon is a great place to start, there are other database options - especially for history specific research.