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Government Information

A guide for finding government resources and information

About Peer Review

One of the main characteristics of scholarly journals is the process of peer review. 

So what is "peer review" anyway? Check out this video

Many of our library's journals are peer reviewed.  As you search the databases look for the filter or limiter labeled "peer reviewed." Some of databases such as Cinahl, PubMed/MEDLINE, and PsycINFO are almost entirely made up of peer reviewed journals.

If you find a journal article through a Google search and you are on a publisher's website here are some tips for how to confirm that the journal is "peer reviewed":

  1. Read the description of the publication, usually found under "About this publication"
  2. Read the instructions and guidelines for authors to submit articles, usually found under "For Authors".

Note:  Even though a particular journal is peer reviewed, an individual article in that journal may not be. Some article types (news items, editorials, etc.) may not have gone through the peer review process.