Is My Article Reputable?
Consider these criteria to determine if a source is reputable:
Author: Who produced the information? What can you find about the author's credentials?
Accuracy: Does the author cite references to support their thesis? If so, are the references also from scholarly, credible sources? How does this information compare to other sources you have found?
Timeframe: When was the source published? Is the information still relevant?
For more tips and guidelines:
- Evaluating Resources CC-BY-NC: UC Berkeley Library
- SIFT: The Four Moves CC-BY: Mike Caulfield, Washington State University Vancouver
- Evaluating Digital Sources Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Is My Article Peer-Reviewed?
A peer-reviewed source is an article that has been reviewed by several other experts in the field before being published in order to ensure its quality. This 2 minute video describes the peer review process.
How do I Know if an Article is Peer-Reviewed?
Look for limits/filters
Many databases allow you to specify that you want to search only in “peer-reviewed” or “refereed” sources.
Visit the journal’s webpage
Search online for your journal’s title. Sections like “about this journal” or “editorial policies” generally mention whether the journal is peer-reviewed/refereed.
Check a directory
Use the Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory to find key information about a journal, including whether it has a peer-review process.