FAQ: I need to find a peer reviewed journal article, where do I start in the library?

There are a couple places that you can find peer reviewed journal articles on the library's website but the two primary options are by using the Multi-Search (the main search box on the library's homepage) or a database that includes peer reviewed journal articles on the A-Z Database List.

Using Multi-Search

If you are using the Multi-Search, keep in mind that this resource searches multiple library databases at the same time so your results will include peer reviewed journal articles, but also non-scholarly articles, newspaper materials, books and eBooks, and more. So to find peer reviewed articles using the Multi-Search, follow these steps:

1. In the Multi-Search box on the library's homepage, enter keywords on your topic and then click "Search".
2. On the results page, look in the left column and find the limiter "Scholarly/Peer Reviewed" near the top.
3. Click on "Peer Reviewed" to limit your Multi-Search results to (mostly - see note) materials published in peer reviewed journals. You may also want to click "Journal Article" in the left column to limit your results to this content type.
4. When you find an article you want to use, evaluate it to determine if it is appropriate for your research and published in a peer reviewed journal.

NOTE: Using the "Peer Reviewed" limiter in the Multi-Search (see step 3 above) will help narrow down your results to materials published in peer reviewed journals but it is imperfect, so always evaluate the source.

For help determining if an article is from a peer reviewed journal check out the FAQ: How can I determine if a journal is peer reviewed?

Using the A-Z Database List

If you are using the A-Z Database List, keep in mind that not all databases include peer reviewed materials. You should read the description of each database and examine the icons next to each database name to determine if they include peer reviewed materials. Look for the  icon to find databases which contain all or mostly scholarly, peer reviewed journal articles.

If you are having trouble determining which database(s) to search in for peer reviewed articles on your topic, please contact the Reference Desk through chat or email ask@snhu.libanswers.com for help. 

Once you select a database to search in, keep in mind that some databases allow users to limit results to peer reviewed materials but not all do. So just like with the Multi-Search, be sure to evaluate each source to determine if it is appropriate for your research and published in a peer reviewed journal.