ENGL 127 Research Writing: Social Sciences (Moreno)

This is a guide for Michael Moreno's ENGL 127 with a focus on Urban Studies.

Scholarly Literature

Step into the Scholarly Conversation on your Cities

What is Scholarly Literature?

The purpose of a body of scholarship on a subject is to advance our knowledge and understanding in that field. Scholarship takes us much deeper into a topic.

The Critical Segment

Your Critical Segment requires you to find 3 new scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources.

  • You may read scholarly articles, books or book chapters. 
  • Learn more about what Scholarly Literature is and is not on other pages of the Find Scholarly Information section. s to the left to learn more about identifying scholarly sources. 
Keep in mind:
  • I recommended starting with the databases below for your Critical Segment and Expansion Essay:
  • Remember to try a range of Keywords and Subject Terms to find the most relevant results.  
  • Important Tip: You don't need all your scholarly resources to be about your specific city. Find scholarly discussions of your key topics and apply them to your city. For example, a scholarly discussion of gentrification in Seattle, WA may provide insight into the same process in Portland, OR.

What is Peer Review? 

Peer Review refers to the process that most scholarly articles go through in order to be published in an academic journal. 

Also referred to as refereed articles, peer reviewed articles are submitted to a scholarly journal, reviewed first by an editor to evaluate if the article is right for the publication, and then peer reviewed by other researchers who specialize in the same field to assess the quality of the article. Reviewers  may send articles back for revision or recommend that they be accepted or rejected. 

Peer review matters because it is an indication that an article makes a contribution to knowledge, that it is well researched, and the the conclusions drawn are reasonable and supported by evidence. 

The Case of Books

Books may be scholarly, but they do not go through the peer review process. Scholarly books are reviewed by the publishing editor, and usually the publisher is an academic press.

Keep this in mind when you research. You can check a box for scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, but there is not an equivalent box for scholarly books.

In both cases, you still need to assess if a source is scholarly, if it relevant to your focus, and if it is current enough.

The Critical Segment

Your Assignment

Your Critical Segment requires you to find 3 new scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources.

  • You may read scholarly articles, books or book chapters. 
  • Learn more about what Scholarly Literature is and is not on this and other pages of the Scholarly Conversation section of this research guide. 
Keep in mind:
  • Remember to try a range of Keywords and Subject Terms to find the most relevant results.
  • Finding useful scholarship can be a challenge, so give it time.
  • Currency matters! You want information that is as up-to-date as possible. Use date limiters in the databases to find current enough sources.
  • Important Tip: You don't need all your scholarly resources to be about your specific cityFind scholarly discussions of your key topics and apply them to your city. 
    • For example, a scholarly discussion of gentrification in Seattle, WA may provide insight into the same process in Portland, OR.
    • Or for example, a discussion of the impact of tech on the affordability of the Bay Area may be relevant to a discussion of affordability in our region.