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Finding, Reading & Evaluating Scholarly Sources

Finding Scholarly/ Peer Reviewed Articles in the Library

It's possible to limit your results to peer reviewed journals only, whether you use OneSearch, or the library databases. 

Finding Peer-Reviewed Articles in OneSearch

You can start your research using the Search: Peer Reviewed option in One Search:

In OneSearch you can also use the  "Peer Reviewed Journals" filter on the left after you perform a search:

 

Finding Peer-Reviewed Articles in Library Databases: 

In almost any library database, you can also check the "Limit to: Peer Reviewed" box, usually found under the main search box. Here's an example in ProQuest PsycINFO:

TIP: Another option if you want to confirm a journal is peer-reviewed is to search the Icon of a padlock Ulrichsweb periodicals directory for the title of the journal. If you see this icon icon of a referee jersey , the journal is refereed (peer-reviewed).You can find Ulrichsweb in the library under Databases A-Z. 

Finding Scholarly / Peer Reviewed Articles on the Web

Google Scholar is the easiest way to find scholarly and peer reviewed literature on the web.

Google Scholar searches journal and conference papers, theses and dissertations, academic books, pre-prints, abstracts, technical reports and other scholarly literature. In addition, many articles are available full text when connected to The Chicago School Library.

Pros of using Google Scholar:

  • Ease of use; similar features of Google web search
  • Search by cited feature
  • Ranking of results
  • Citation information provided
  • Search vast array of information; technical reports, preprints, societal publications, conference proceedings
  • Full-text if available
  • Allows you to save both citations and articles to read later.

Cons of using Google Scholar

  • Full-text often not available 
  • Google Scholar's coverage is is wide-ranging but not comprehensive. It can be a research source, but should not be the only source you use.
  • Uneven coverage in social sciences, better for hard sciences
  • No limiter for just peer-reviewed publications
  • Few options to limit or narrow search results. For more search options, and more precise searching, use a library database.