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Academic, Scholarly, and Peer-Reviewed Articles

Instructions for searching for peer-reviewed articles

EBSCO


 

  • Click the EBSCO link above.
  • Enter your search terms and click Search.
  • On the search results page, go to the left-hand Refine Results menu and click Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, or Academic Journals.
  • Use other filters in Refine Results -- such as Publication Date and Source Type -- to narrow your results.

ProQuest


 

  • Click the ProQuest link above.
  • Enter your search terms.
  • Click on "peer reviewed" under your search terms, or on the results page, click "Peer reviewed" in the left-hand menu.
  • Use other filters in the left-hand menu -- such as "Source type" and "Publication date" -- to narrow your results.

Peer-Reviewed and Reliable Resources

Peer-Reviewed vs. Reliable Resources

Peer-Reviewed

Reliable
Written by researchers, faculty, and other scholars Written by professionals who might not be experts
Written for other experts in the field, using that field's language or jargon Written for a more general audience, though may use professional jargon
Advances research and discovery in a particular field Shares information, facts, and data for a variety of purposes
Includes cites and references for all sources Sometimes includes cites and references
Reviewed by experts for quality of research and findings before publication (peer-review process) May be reviewed or fact-checked by editors or other professionals
Examples: JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, American Journal of Public Health, PLoS One, Social Problems Examples: New York Times, Scientific American, Nation, Discover, Mother Earth News, Time, government documents, organizational reports

 

Wikipedia vs. the Library

Wikipedia vs. Library Resources

Wikipedia

Library Resources
"Wikipedia is not a reliable source for academic writing or research" (Wikipedia: Academic use). Library resources are generally reliable, but your assignment, topic, and discipline will determine which types of resources are permitted.
"We do not expect you to trust us" (Wikipedia: Ten things) Library resources are overall trustworthy, although you should still check on who stands behind the work: author, publisher, organization, etc.
"While some articles are of the highest quality of scholarship, others are completely rubbish" (Wikipedia: Ten things). Library resources include peer-reviewed journal articles (high-quality scholarship) and other reliable resources. If you come across rubbish, let us know!
"Since Wikipedia can be edited by anyone at any time, articles may be prone to errors, including vandalism, so Wikipedia is not a reliable source" (Wikipedia: Ten things) Library resources are edited before publication; they are not randomly changed. 
"Wikipedia articles are tertiary sources, [and] Wikipedia employs no systematic mechanism for fact checking or authority" (Wikipedia: Reliable sources). Library resources include primary (for example, a peer-reviewed research article), secondary (for example, a textbook), and tertiary (for example, an encyclopedia) sources. The information is often fact-checked and includes citations to other reliable sources.
Wikipedia articles are verifiable and include citations from reliable sources (Wikipedia: Verifiability). Library resources often, but not always, include citations. For example, a newspaper article will mention sources but does not include citations.
Wikipedia can be a helpful starting point for academic research, where you can read an overview of the topic, discover keywords for library searches, and find reliable resources in the notes. Credo, one of the library databases, is a great starting point for academic research. You'll find discipline-specific encyclopedia articles that are edited and fact-checked, that offer a helpful overview of the topic, and that provide keywords and links to other related resources.

 

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