Biology

The following library webpage provides an overview of library research, including how to find resources and how to evaluate and read what you have found.

About Journal Articles

Journal articles are published in academic or scholarly journals and may also be called scholarly articles or peer reviewed articles. Peer review is the process whereby an academic journal article is read by subject experts who provide feedback before publication to ensure the information is accurate and contributes to the research in that area. Peer review is one way to ensure quality control and is one reason why journal articles are considered reliable sources.

Not all scholarly or academic journals are peer reviewed and the articles themselves will not usually say that they are peer reviewed. To check if your article is peer reviewed, you need to look for this information in other locations.

Use the resources on the followoing page, under How to Confirm an Article is Peer Reviewed to learn more about identifying peer reviewed articles.

Finding Journal Articles

Journal articles can be found by searching in the main library search or by searching subject specific databases or free databases such as Google Scholar and PubMed.

For more information on finding and evaluating journal articles visit the library's Types of Resources page on Articles.

The Four Moves (or SIFT) is a framework for evaluating information. Using this framework can help you identify misinformation and disinformation.

Predatory and Deceptive Publishers

Not all journal articles are equal. Journals have variying levels of prestige and quality and at the very bottom there are predatory journals. Predatory journals or publishers use false information and misleading tactics to publish the work of There are better and poorer quality journals, but then there are predatory journals. According to a definition in the journal Nature, “predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices.”

The following resources can help you identify and avoid articles and journals that use predatory or deceptive practices:

Lists of reputable journals maintained by databases: