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HI 3334: Media Revolutions in History : Journal Articles

Peer Reviewed or Refeered

What are "peer-reviewed" or "refereed" journals?

A peer-reviewed journal is a respected publication. Before articles are published within these types of journals, they are sent by the editors of the journal to other scholars in the field ("peers"), often anonymously, to get feedback on the quality of the scholarship, review research methods, as well as relevance or importance to the field. The article may be accepted, often with revisions suggested, or rejected for publication. Many peer-reviewed journals have low acceptance rates. 

Peer-reviewed articles are typically substantial in length (often 10 pages or more) and typically have many citations. 

To find peer reviewed articles in WPI Library Search, enter your keywords and then choose the Peer-Reviewed Journals filter on the left.

screenshot of the Peer-reviewed Journals filter in the WPI Library Search

Only Finding a Citation? Get the Full Text

Within most databases, click on the FullTextFinder  link to get options for obtaining the full text of the article.

Find Peer-Reviewed Articles

Recommended Databases:

Examples of Scholarly Journals:

Filter & Follow Up

  • Scan results: use subject headings/descriptors, keywords, phrases found to expand search
  • Scrutinize article titles, number of pages, and journal title
  • Browse promising abstract and conclusion sections of long studies
  • Bibliographies can clue you in on the value of the article as well
  • Find an interesting author? Search for more articles by that author
  • Notice an agency, association or expert mentioned in an article? Follow up.