Here are some basic guidelines to help you determine if a book is scholarly:
Category:
Things to look for:
Author
The name of the author(s) should be listed, as well as their credentials.
Typically scholarly authors will have some form of subject specialty (such as professor of Religion, CEO of a Fortune 500 company, etc). Note: Having a Ph.D. in one field does not make someone an expert in another.
Citations
Scholarly books should include notes and/or a bibliography of their sources.
Also, look at the types of sources cited; are they appropriate for the topic?
Publisher
Was the book published by a university or other scholarly press (such as Sage or Elsevier)?
