LibGuides: Peer-Reviewed & Scholarly Publications: Finding Scholarly Sources

Contact Us

Amy Spitz
Instruction & OER Librarian (Faculty)
aspitz@csmd.edu

Mary Johnson
Interim Library Director
mbjohnson@csmd.edu

Provide access to lots of peer-reviewed sources
Include background information about sources to help you determine if it is peer-reviewed
Options to limit search to Peer-Reviewed Journals
- NOTE: Some articles (introductions, editorials, letters to the editor, and book reviews) in peer-reviewed journals aren’t necessarily peer-reviewed!

May not provide access to the full text of an article
Pay wall (may require you to pay to view an article)
Results include many types of sources (journal articles, blog posts, news articles, websites), without clear labels

ProQuest One Academic This link opens in a new window
Searches multiple databases (covering most subjects) for sources including scholarly journals, dissertations, magazines, newspapers, eBooks, and more.
EBSCO This link opens in a new window
Multidisciplinary and subject-specific databases (select one or more); use this for finding scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, and more.
Gale This link opens in a new window
Multiple databases; source include reference eBooks, biographies, literature resources (overviews, criticisms, reviews), opposing viewpoints (pro/con articles on social issues), and test preparation.
CREDO Reference This link opens in a new window
Search over 600 full text reference books for your topic. It also has article links to library databases (such as ProQuest and EBSCO).
E-Journal Portal This link opens in a new window
Browse or search journals (by title or subject) and use links to find full text access in CSM's library databases.

In a library database, click the journal name to see more information about the publication:

On the journal's website, find the page with information for authors and check if the journal requires:

Check if the journal uses peer-review.
Look for clues!
- ~10 or more pages long
- Includes a works cited, bibliography, or references list
- Formal appearance (sometimes including tables, graphs, diagrams, charts, etc.)
- Abstract or summary above the article
- Specific/narrow subject focus
- Uses specialized terms or jargon relevant to the subject
- Written by expert or someone with authority on the topic (for example, a professor at a university or someone with a PhD in that field)
Some articles in peer-reviewed journals MAY NOT BE peer-reviewed, such as:
- Introduction to the issue
- Letters to the editor
- Opinion or Editorial articles
- Book Reviews