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North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries, 3:15

1. What do peer reviewers do?  How are they similar to or different from editors?
2. Who are the primary customers of scholarly journals?
3. Do databases only include peer-reviewed articles?  How do you know?

Peer review is a process for evaluating research studies before they are published by an academic journal. These studies typically communicate original research or analysis for other researchers. 

The Peer Review Process at a Glance

Looking for peer-reviewed articles? 

Try searching in UC Library Search or a library database and look for options to limit your results to scholarly/peer-reviewed or academic journals. You can also check Ulrichsweb, see below for details... 

How can I be sure my journal article is scholarly?

Many databases offer the option to search for "peer-reviewed" journal articles - those are academic articles reviewed by the authors' peers for accuracy during the editing and publishing process.

If you are using a database that does not have this filter option, or if you find an article citation somewhere else, you can check if the article was published in a "peer-reviewed" journal or magazine by using Ulrichsweb.

1. Search for your journal or magazine by title
2. Look for a little black and white striped referee jersey icon next to its name  
3. The Content Type will say "Academic/Scholarly"

Need Help?

If your publication does not appear in Ulrichsweb, please contact a librarian for more help.