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Database Help: How to check if a journal is peer-reviewed

How to check if an article/journal is peer-reviewed

Primo Search 

With a set of results in Primo Search, you can use the Show only > Peer-reviewed Journals option to refine your results to articles from peer-reviewed journals.

In Primo Search, the refiner for Show Only > Peer Reviewed Journals appears to the left of the results list

Databases

Some databases offer the option to limit searches or refine results to peer-reviewed journals.

Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory

The most reliable way to check whether a journal is peer-reviewed is to check in the Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory:

  1. Locate Ulrichsweb in CSU Library’s list of U-Databases
  2. Use the default Basic Search to find the journal you are checking. Type in the name of the journal in double quotation marks.
  3. In the table of results, if the “Refereed” column for the journal includes an icon of a referee’s shirt, then the journal is peer-reviewed.

The peer-review symbol appears in search results in the Ulricsweb database in the second column from the left

Journal’s website 

If you go to a journal website, information on peer-review will usually be included in a section on information for authors or publication policies and procedures. A good way to find the website for a journal is to check the journal record in Ulrichsweb.

Publisher information on this example of a journal website states that all manuscripts are subject to double-blind peer review

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