Peer review means a scholarly work or research article has undergone a process where others who are experts in the same field review and scrutinize the article in terms of accuracy and validity. This helps ensure that scholarly articles maintain academic quality. Peer reviewed sources are often the best resources you can use to support your own research.
Watch this short Peer Review in 3 Minutes video from North Carolina State University to learn more about peer review.
If you cannot access the above video, you can watch it here
"Peer Reviewed" or "Refereed" Journals are considered scholarly. Not sure if the article you've found is from a peer reviewed journal? Use the A-Z Journals tool or the Publications area within a database to search for the journal title. This will display publication details, including if the journal title is peer reviewed or not.
Hint: Enter the journal name and select "TI Title" to search. The Peer Reviewed line is usually at the bottom. If the journal is Peer Reviewed, that line will say YES.
Learning to read scholarly or academic articles can be challenging, and it is a skill that takes practice. Watch this short video to learn how to "read" a scholarly article.
If you cannot access the above video, you can watch it here
When you are searching in a database, be sure to look for the Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals limiter to help ensure that you are locating peer reviewed articles to support your research.
If you need help locating peer reviewed research in library databases, watch the Health Sciences Database Collection video below. (Note: Video may not play in Chrome browser. Make sure you have updated to the latest version of Chrome if you experience issues.)