What is a scholarly monograph?

A scholarly monograph is a single volume written by a scholar in an academic field that discusses a specialized subject in depth. A scholarly monograph is intended for an academic audience rather than a general one. They present original research and scholarship and are not intended for use as textbooks.

Most scholarly monographs are published by academic or scholarly societies or by university publishing houses. They typically include extensive bibliographies and footnotes and often cite other scholarly monographs or academic manuscripts. They often also include indexes, notes and appendices. They are often difficult to read because they are densely written and usually use technical jargon.