A peer-reviewed article is one that has been reviewed by a body of “peers:” experts in the same field as the writer.  These experts have had a chance to read and correct the information.

They are sometimes called “refereed” and are published in scholarly or academic journals.

For additional ways to determine if an article is scholarly use the hints from the chart below.

Some databases allow you to click on a box to limit your articles to "peer reviewed" or "refereed" or sometimes just "scholarly." 

Peer-reviewed articles are usually found in scholarly journals while popular or general articles often are found in popular magazines.

Scholarly Journals	Criteria	Popular Magazines
	Type of source
Lengthy, in depth. Often includes tables, graphs, statistics. Serious appearance, not heavily graphic. Generally includes abstract and citation list. Advertisements aimed at the scholarly audience it serves. Purpose of the articles is usually to present original research or experiments.	Length and appearance of articles	Shorter, overview-type articles. Popular style. Glossy format. Attractive covers. Lots of photographs. Does not usually include abstract or citation list. Includes many advertisements aimed at a general audience. Purpose of the articles is to entertain the reader.
Scholars, experts. Credentials always included. Peer reviewed, refereed or juried: critically evaluated by a knowledge panel of experts. Usually published by a scholarly or university press.	Authorship/Editorial	Reporters, staff writers. Credentials not usually included. Reviewed by the editorial staff, not subject experts. Articles are sometimes unsigned. Usually published by a commercial publisher.
Includes words like: review, journal, research, quarterly, studies, transactions, proceedings, archives.	Title	Often included the word magazine
Technical, likely to include the jargon of the field. Assumes some background knowledge from the reader.	Language	Non-technical, accessible by broad audience
Traditional structure usually requires: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, references	Article structure	No specific structure.
Published bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.	Frequency	Published daily, weekly or monthly.
Professors, researchers, professionals, experts, students; people who are already interested in the topic.	Audience	General public, trying to attract an audience.

To see what journals the library has, in print or full-text, use the Journals tab on the main page.

For a list of journals available in print or online through the library:

• Titles containing the words "recreation" or "recreational."
• Titles containing the words "leisure."

The following list is a sample of titles and their availability: