1. What it is and How to Identify Peer Reviewed Articles

2. What is “Peer Review”
Peer review (aka Refereed) refers to the rigorous examination by subject experts of articles submitted for publication in a professional or scholarly journal
This process is intended to guarantee that articles being published are well designed and make a worthwhile contribution to the literature of that field
Whether or not an article must submit to peer review is determined by the journal considering the article for publication

3. Determining Peer Review
Only journals (not books, magazines or newspapers) may require a peer review process.
Not all journals require that articles submitted for publication pass a peer review process in order to be published.

4. Determining Peer Review
Originally the only way to determine if an article was peer reviewed was to check the journal in which the article was published.
There are now a number of other methods.
The following slides will show some of those methods.

5. Determining Peer Review
Method 1:
Now there are databases such as UlrichsWeb, that provide information about periodicals and which can be accessed through the library website

6. Determining Peer Review
The following shows how information about a journal, including whether or not it is peer reviewed, can be retrieved in Ulrichsweb.

7. Determining Peer Review
To access UlrichsWeb, start at the library home page and click Find Articles.

8. Determining Peer Review
A menu of databases will display.
Scroll down the menu to locate the
link for UlrichsWeb and click it.

9. Determining Peer Review
When accessing UlrichsWeb off-campus or through the campus wi-fi, a login screen will display.
Students: enter your student portal login and password
Faculty and Staff: enter your network login and password

10. Determining Peer Review
The UlrichsWeb search page will display.

11. Determining Peer Review
In the search box, enter the title of the journal then click the search icon.

12. Determining Peer Review
A list of journals will display.

13. Determining Peer Review
The search may retrieve multiple records. Scroll the results list to locate the journal you need.

14. Determining Peer Review
If the journal is peer reviewed, there will be a shield icon next to the title. JAMA is peer reviewed.

15. Determining Peer Review
Method 2:
Some periodical databases include information about the journals they index, including whether or not the journal requires peer review:
Academic Search Complete
Health Source Nursing and Academic
CINAHL
Alt Health Watch

16. Determining Peer Review
The following slides show how information about a journal, including whether or not it is peer reviewed, can be retrieved in Academic Search Complete

17. Determining Peer Review

18. Determining Peer Review
The publications search screen will display

19. Determining Peer Review
Enter the journal title in the Browse Publications box, then click Browse

20. Determining Peer Review
If the journal is indexed, it will be at the top of the display list; click the journal link to retrieve the journal record

21. Determining Peer Review
When the journal record displays, check the Peer Reviewed line.
Yes indicates that articles in the journal are peer reviewed.

22. Determining Peer Review
Method 3:
Some periodical databases have an option to limit a search to peer reviewed journals
Academic Search Complete
CINAHL
Health Source Nursing/Academic

23. Determining Peer Review
The following slides show how a search in Academic Search Complete can be limited to peer reviewed journals

24. Determining Peer Review

25. Determining Peer Review

26. Determining Peer Review

27. Determining Peer Review
Method 4:
Now most journals have a web site that provides a variety of information, including whether or not articles must go through a peer review process
Locate journal web site
Locate information on the journal web sit
May be easy
May be difficult to locate/understand

28. Determining Peer Review
The following slides demonstrate locating the JAMA website and information about the journal’s peer review policy.

29. Determining Peer Review
Access a search engine

30. Determining Peer Review
Enter the name of the journal in the search box

31. Determining Peer Review
Locate the journal web site in the list of results

32. Determining Peer Review
Once you get to the journal website you will need to determine where on the website the information can be found. See if you can locate an About link.

33. Determining Peer Review
JAMA has an About link near the bottom of the page.
Click the link to view information about the journal.

34. Determining Peer Review
The information about the journal identifies it as peer reviewed.