Skip to Main Content

Introduction to Literature Search

This guide is intended to provide you with the basic skills necessary to search for literature. The skills are presented broadly and can be applied across all databases.

Peer Reviewed Articles

What does peer review mean?

Peer review is a process by which a scholarly work is checked by a group of experts in the same field to make sure it meets the necessary standards before it is published or accepted. Peer reviewing may also be called refereeing.

The high standard of quality set by article reviewers results in the highest quality scholarly articles. Using these high quality sources will improve the quality of your own work.


What is a scholarly journal? Is it the same as a peer reviewed journal?  

While the terms "peer-review" and "scholarly" are often used simultaneously, they are not the same thing.

Scholarly journals are essentially a place for researchers to publish studies and original works in a dedicated field. Not all scholarly journals make the peer-review process a condition for publication.

Scholarly journals that do not have a peer-review process are less common, but they do exist.  

How do I know if something is peer reviewed?   

  • Some databases such as CINAHL will give you the option to limit search results to peer review articles. Look for the option to limit to a review article on a databases search page.
  • Most journals in PubMed are peer reviewed, therefore there is no option to limit your search to peer reviewed articles. 
  • Also, you can check the website a of journal to see if it's editorial policy includes peer review. You can always check with a librarian or professor if you are unsure.
  • There are some items that are never considered peer reviewed even if they are published inside a journal that uses a peer review process. Those items include:
    • Letters to the editor
    • Opinion articles
    • Book reviews/Product reviews

Additionally, you can look up the journal in the library's Publication Finder: 

  1. On the Library homepage, click on Journals.
  2. In the search box, type in the name of the journal (not the article title).  
  3. When you find the journal you are looking for and see the phrase "Peer Reviewed", you can rest assured that the journal is a peer reviewed journal.