Here are five ways to tell whether a journal article is scholarly or peer reviewed.
- On the databases search page, check the "scholarly or peer reviewed" search box
- They usually have an extensive reference and or citation section. (example)
- Many scholarly journal titles start with "The Journal of..."
- Look in the bibliography of a book or article you know is scholarly, and you will find the titles of other scholarly material
- Find the journal's home page on the web and read about the journal. Do the publishers identify the publication as scholarly? (Should you believe them?)
Five Ways to tell that a journal article is NOT scholarly or peer reviewed - No author is listed
- There is no bibliography or reference list
- If the author is listed, there is no information given about him/her
- The article is very short
- The source of the article is a newspaper or popular magazine title
Search hint for finding some publications in your area of interest:Search the University Library catalog using your subject term, and the word "periodicals.Examples: