What are peer-reviewed / scholarly articles?

In your research, you will find articles from many different sources. The sources might be scholarly (intended to be used by scholars in the field), or they might be popular (intended to be used by the general public). To learn how to find these articles, explore this FAQ.

If you have an article and want to determine whether or not it is scholarly/peer-reviewed, consider the following: 

  1. Look at the article title. The title is usually a brief summary of the article often with specific terminology related to that field. It is usually quite specific and narrowly focused.   
  2. Look at the journal title. This is the name of the publication (e.g. Journal of Forestry). You can often find the journal's website online and learn more about it, including whether or not it is peer-reviewed. The first page of a journal article will also usually include a volume and issue number, as well as page numbers. Most (but not all) articles will be more than 10 pages.   
  3. Look at the authors. Are the author’s credentials and affiliations at the beginning of the article or somewhere easily found? This helps establish the author’s authority as an expert in that field. Usually, authors are affiliated with a university or other research institution.   
  4. Look for an abstract. This is the summary of the article. It helps readers determine whether the article suits their research needs. Sometimes it will even be labeled “Abstract.” Not all scholarly articles have abstracts. The language used may also be specialized or use the jargon of a particular discipline or field of study.   
  5. Look at how the article is organized. In addition to an abstract, there may be sections labeled Literature Review, Methods, or Discussion.   
  6. Look for charts, graphs, tables, or equations. These are often found in scholarly research. Pictures are rare.  
  7. Look for references. You will find throughout the article, cited within the text and included as footnotes or in a list of sources at the end of the article. This can be a good way to find additional articles on your topic.

Screen shot of a research article with characteristics, described in prior text, highlighted. Includes journal title, abstract, authors names and credentials/affiliations, and references cited in the text of the article.

Answer

  • Last Updated Jan 27, 2023
  • Views 28
  • Answered By Amanda

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