PLSC 205/SOC 205: Research Methods and Analysis

Scholarly sources are written by scholars or professionals who are experts in their field.

Not all scholarly articles are peer reviewed; however, all peer reviewed articles are scholarly.  If in doubt, the best way to determine if an article is peer reviewed is to check the journal's website or ask a librarian!

What is Peer Review?

Peer Review is a process used to ensure the quality of articles submitted to a scholarly journal for publishing.  Before an article is accepted for publishing, it is reviewed by both the editor of the journal and a team of outside experts in the field [the authors' peers].  The reviewers, or referees, critically evaluate the soundness of the research and the validity of the findings, and they recommend that the article be accepted, rejected, or revised and resubmitted.

Why do I care if an article is peer-reviewed?

Peer-review provides extra authority and credibility to an article!

How do I find peer-reviewed articles?

Peer-reviewed articles can be found in OneSearch and in the library's databases, and may be labeled with an icon saying "Academic Journal". 

Remember, OneSearch and many of our databases allow you to limit your results to scholarly/peer-reviewed only!  Look for that filter in all Ebsco databases.

Most of our specialized/subject databases only contain peer-reviewed journals.

How can I be sure that an article is peer-reviewed?

The best way to determine if an article is peer-reviewed is by looking at the journal's website.  Do a google search for the journal title and look for a description stating that it is "peer-reviewed" or "refereed" [try the home page or an about page].  Still have doubts?  Ask a Librarian!