The main purpose of a scholarly journal is to report on original research or experimentation in order to make such information available to the rest of the scholarly world. Researchers continually add to scholarly conversations by answering new questions or challenging previous conclusions.
Common Characteristics:
Note: Peer reviewed articles are not limited to science. All academic fields use a peer review process to ensure quality and accuracy.
Scholarly peer reviewed articles are included in many library databases. Use a research guide to find the best database for your subject or use the Scholarly Articles tab in the JEWL search box on the library homepage. You can also use the library's Databases A-Z tool to find a list of library databases by subject or discipline. Here is a sample search using the JEWL Search Scholarly Articles tab on the library home page.
Please note: There are many academic and scholarly journals that do not contain peer-reviewed articles. Using the scholarly articles filter will give you a list of academic journal articles that are peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed. You must do the extra step of researching your specific journal to determine if it's peer-reviewed.
1. Enter your keywords / topics.
2. On the search results page, use the filters in the left column under the "Limit To" menu:
How do you know if an article is from a peer-reviewed academic journal or an academic journal that doesn't include peer-reviewed articles? Two options: (1) search for the journal title in Ulrichsweb database or (2) check the journal publisher's website for a detailed description of the journal.
Search the title of the journal (not the article) and look at the symbols beside the title. If there is a "refereed" symbol 
, then the journal is peer-reviewed. Refereed is a synonym for peer-reviewed.
Parts can be combined depending upon the journal publisher's preferred format. The most commonly combined sections are: (1) introduction with literature review; and (2) results with discussion.
