Skip to Main Content

Verify Peer Review: Limit to Peer-Reviewed Articles

Peer review status of databases

Databases contain a variety of materials. Some Walden Library databases contain only peer-reviewed journals; others contain a mix of peer-reviewed and general material. 

On our Databases A-Z page you can use the All Database Types drop-down box located at the top of the page to see a list of different options:

 

Peer Reviewed - All  green icon indicating all content is peer reviewed

Peer Reviewed - Some orange icon indicating some content is peer reviewed 

Peer Reviewed - None

 

How do I limit my search to peer reviewed journals?

If a database has a mixture of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed content, you can limit to peer-reviewed journal articles with a limiter box that you can check. Different databases will use different text with their limiters. These are a few examples of how a limiter box may be labeled:

  • Peer Reviewed Scholarly Journals

  • Peer reviewed

  • Peer Reviewed Journals

 

Look for a peer review limiter on the database search page. The box may be close to the search boxes or further down the page. In some databases you need to click on Advanced Search to see all the limiter options. 

If the database ONLY has peer-reviewed journals, there will be no limiter box to check.

Search Tip:  Peer-reviewed journals may also contain items that are not peer reviewed, such as letters to the editor, opinion pieces, and book reviews. Even if you check the peer review limiter, you still need to examine the items carefully to be sure they are articles.

Watch a search for peer reviewed literature

Peer Review: limit in a database search

(2 min 14 sec) Recorded January 2020
Transcript