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Library DIY

Assigned to: Lisa

Notes:

I have not done anything with the text from TAMU-SA.

Questions:

Is the best place to look for peer reviewed articles a library database? Why? What about Google Scholar?

- made some edits, added quick search, (link to qs?)

Need screenshots of ways to tell if something is peer-reviewed.

Note that Quick Search can tell you if an article is from a peer-reviewed journal, but the article itself may not be peer-reviewed. Examples include book reviews and editorials. (added this info)

added a link to Ulrich's

I am looking for peer-reviewed articles.

A peer reviewed article is one that has been reviewed by other experts or scholars in the field who judge the article for quality and new contributions to the discipline. Peer reviewed articles may also be called refereed. The best place to start your search is in the library's quick search or a discipline-specific database.

Strategy #1: Limit your search to only peer reviewed articles

  • Look for a checkbox, either on the search screen or the results page that limits the search to articles from peer reviewed journals
    • Be aware that peer-reviewed journals may publish non-peer reviewed articles, like book reviews and commentary.
  • Search in a database that only contains peer reviewed articles.

Strategy #2: Find out more about the journal your article was published in

  • If you are in a database, check to see whether you can click on the journal title for more information about the journal.
  • Use Ulrich's Periodicals Directory to learn more about the journal, including whether it is peer reviewed (Ulrich's uses the term "refereed"), how long it has been in publication, which databases index the journal, and more.
  • Search Google with the title of the journal to look for an editorial policy page or a page for authors to find out if the journal uses a peer review process.