How do I know if an article is peer reviewed?
Answer
If you've found an article and want to see if it's from a peer reviewed journal, you can use the Journal Finder in Scholar Onesearch, or if Northeastern doesn't have the journal, use Ulrichsweb database to check.
For the steps on how to do this, view the short video or PDF below.
Not every article in a peer-reviewed journal is necessarily peer-reviewed. Some journals publish a mix of peer reviewed articles and other articles like letters, opinion pieces, invited articles, transcripts of speeches etc... which are not peer reviewed. Most journals state their editorial policies on their website to help you understand which articles are peer reviewed.
As you read more widely in your field, it will become easier for you to determine whether an article is peer reviewed. In the meantime, if you are unsure, feel free to ask your professor or your subject librarian for help.
If you have more research questions, check out our other Research Tutorials.