Identifying Refereed Journals

There are several ways to identify refereed journals:

Print copies of journals will usually state if the journal is refereed. Information about the review process can usually be found under 'Instructions for authors', or in the section which lists the journal details and editors.

Many journals have their own website.  A journal website will usually indicate if the journal is refereed.

The Ulrichsweb database provides information about most journals, including whether or not they are refereed.  To use Ulrichsweb to check if a journal is refereed:

    1. Access Ulrichsweb via the Library's Databases page.
    2. In the Quick Search box, enter the ISSN if known, or perform a 'Title (Keyword)' search using the journal title.
quick search
  1. Select the relevant journal title on the results page (sometimes there may be more than one journal with the same title). If the journal is refereed, this will be stated in the basic description.

A short Flash movie (duration: 2min 15 sec; file size: 1.7Mb) demonstrating a search of Ulrichsweb is available. Free Flash player download is available from Adobe.

Note: Not all items in a refereed journal will be peer reviewed (e.g. editorial, letters, some reviews, announcements etc).