Is this article from a peer-reviewed source?
Not everything in a peer-reviewed journal is peer-reviewed (for example, the journal may also contain book reviews, opinion pieces, etc. that are not held to the same level of scrutiny).
Look for the following traits, which often indicate an article is peer-reviewed:
- A lot of citations (check for in-text, footnotes, endnotes, works cited, reference lists, or a bibliography)
- An abstract (a brief description of the article)
- The organization of the article into sections such as Methods/Methodology, Results, and Conclusion
- Complex, formal language specific to the field
- Notes indicating when the article was submitted and when it was accepted
You can also explore the homepage of the article's journal online. Peer-reviewed journals are usually proud to announce they are peer-reviewed.
Text borrowed from CalPoly Robert E. Kennedy Library: http://lib.calpoly.edu/research/guides/articles.html
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For more help with finding peer-reviewed articles, see one of our other related resources:
