How to Check if a Journal Is Peer-Reviewed (in Under a Minute)

“Use peer-reviewed sources” is on almost every rubric — but instructors rarely explain how to check. Here's how to confirm a journal is legitimately peer-reviewed in about a minute, and how to avoid the growing number of predatory journals that only look the part.

What “peer-reviewed” actually means

Before a peer-reviewed article is published, independent experts in the field evaluate it for quality and rigor. That vetting is why instructors trust these sources. It's a property of the journal, so the goal is to confirm the journal runs a genuine review process.

Four ways to check (fastest first)

1. The journal's own site. Look for “peer review,” “editorial policy,” or “author guidelines.” A real journal describes its review process and names an editorial board.
2. DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals). For open-access journals, a listing at doaj.org is a strong signal of vetting.
3. Ulrichsweb. Most university libraries provide it; the “refereed” (jersey) icon means peer-reviewed.
4. Indexing. Being indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, or PubMed/MEDLINE means the journal cleared a quality bar.

Red flags of a predatory journal

• Unsolicited emails begging for submissions or promising publication in days.
• A publication fee with no visible peer-review or editorial process.
• A “metric” you've never heard of instead of a real impact factor.
• No named editorial board, or one that doesn't respond; typos and broken links across the site.

A preprint is not peer-reviewed

Preprints on arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, or SSRN are posted before review. They're useful and often excellent — but if your assignment requires peer-reviewed sources, a preprint doesn't qualify until it's published in a reviewed venue. Check whether a peer-reviewed version exists.

The faster way

When you run a bibliography through Corroba Verify, each source is graded — peer-reviewed & indexed, scholarly, preprint, or web — using OpenAlex and DOAJ data, so you can see at a glance which sources will satisfy a “peer-reviewed only” requirement and which won't.

FAQ

Is a journal with a DOI automatically peer-reviewed? No — a DOI only means the work is registered, not reviewed. Predatory journals issue DOIs too.

Is a preprint peer-reviewed? No. It's posted before review; look for a later published version.

How do I know if it's predatory? Cross-check DOAJ and indexing, and watch for the red flags above. If in doubt, ask a librarian.