Limit to Peer-Reviewed Results¶
Peer review is a rigorous process that some academic journals utilize to ensure that they are publishing reliable, original research. An article is reviewed (anonymously) by experts in the field who judge the quality and significance of the research, and then they decide whether the article is worthy of publication in the journal. Oftentimes, the reviewers will request changes, and the revised article will be submitted again. Rejection is common - the more prestigious the journal is, the higher their rejection rates.
Please watch this short video (03:22 min) to learn more. A transcript of the video is also provided for you.
Limiting to "Peer-Reviewed" - Why or Why Not?¶
Reasons to Use¶
- Use when your instructor tells you to.
- Use when you are looking for original scholarly research only.
Reasons Not to Use¶
- Using this filter will vastly limit the number of result you find, excluding many reliable sources that were published in non-peer-reviewed sources.
- Many peer-reviewed articles are written for other experts in the field, so they can be obtuse and challenging to read.
Tip
Sometimes peer-reviewed journals will publish non-peer-reviewed content such as letters to the editor or opinion pieces. If an article is really short and unsubstantial, check with your instructor or a librarian to make sure it is really peer-reviewed.
How to Limit to Peer-Reviewed Results¶
It is easy to limit your results to only that which are peer-reviewed. Simply click the "Peer Review" box, located under search bar.
