How can I tell if an article is peer reviewed?
How can I tell if an article is peer reviewed?
Answer
The easiest way to find peer reviewed (also sometimes called "refereed") articles is to use the filters on the library's databases. Most databases will have a checkbox that allows you to search for only peer reviewed articles.
If you are not using a library database (e.g. if you are searching the internet using a search engine, or Google Scholar), you will need to check either the publisher's website, or use the library's Journals A-Z list to verify whether or not the journal that the article was published in is peer reviewed.
Aren't all scholarly journals/articles peer reviewed?
Not necessarily. There can be scholarly journals that are not peer reviewed, or articles published within peer reviewed journals that are themselves not peer reviewed (e.g. book reviews, editorials, opinion pages, etc.)
Option 1: Checking the publisher's website
Search for the publisher's website for the title of the journal in question. Look for an "about" page, a "journal information" page, or sections for editors or authors. There may be a section on these pages that says whether or not the journal is peer reviewed.
Option 2: Use the Journals A-Z list
Search for the title of the journal the article is published in on the Journals A-Z list on the library's website. If the journal appears in the library's collection, the title will appear in the search results.
Clicking on the title of the journal will take you to an information page about the journal. Near the top of this page, you should see an icon indicating if the journal is peer reviewed. For example:
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