Q. Can something be scholarly but not peer-reviewed?

While peer-reviewed or referreed journals are almost always scholarly; not all scholarly journals are peer-reviewed.

Scholarly journals may include items not part of the peer-review process. This includes news, editorials, and letters to the editor, book and article reviews, opinion pieces, and other information.

Scholarly articles often report research in a standard format, with sections titled Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Works Cited. When choosing a scholarly article for your research, refer to the Anatomy of a Scholarly Article.

The library offers several databases to find scholarly and peer-reviewed articles Databases.

Two ways to search Databases:

1. Search scholarly databases by entering “Scholarly” into the Search for Databases box.

2. A “Scholarly/Peer Reviewed Articles” option is also available under All Database Types.

Helpful hint when searching within databases:

1. Many of the library’s databases search results filter peer reviewed/scholarly articles, and can often be found on the Advanced Search screen. When searching a database, look for a check box that reads “Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals,” “Peer-Reviewed,” or use a similar term to limit or narrow your search.

If you have questions about peer-reviewed and scholarly articles, please contact a librarian online via our 24/7 chat service, call us, or email library@miracosta.edu.