Use Advanced Search, pick Journals and Articles, then confirm the journal’s review policy on its page or the publisher’s site.
What peer review on JSTOR means
JSTOR hosts journals, books, research reports, and primary sources. The service isn’t a publisher; it’s a library. Many journals on the platform use peer review, while some archival materials and older serials do not. So the job isn’t just running a search. You also need to filter to journal articles and verify the review policy of the journal that published each item.
That distinction steers your process. First, steer results toward scholarship by using the site’s Content Type and Item Type filters. Second, confirm peer review at the journal level. That two step flow gives you precision and proof.
Finding peer-reviewed articles on JSTOR: quick start
Here’s a fast path that works for most topics. You can follow it on desktop or mobile.
- Open JSTOR and run a broad keyword or phrase search. Use quotes for exact phrases when you already know the wording you want.
- On the results page, use Content Type to select Journals. That trims out books, pamphlets, and images.
- Use Item Type to select Article. Skip book reviews, front matter, and editorials unless you need them for context.
- Set a date range that fits your project. Many assignments ask for recent scholarship. If you’re reviewing the history of a topic, keep the full span and sort by oldest or newest as needed.
- Scan titles and abstracts. Open promising items in new tabs so you can compare them side by side.
- Before you cite or download, visit the journal’s information page to confirm its review process. Most journals state the policy on the journal or publisher site. Save the link or a screenshot for your notes.
| Goal | Where to click | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Limit to scholarly journals | Refine sidebar → Content Type → Journals | Results list shows items from journal runs only |
| Keep research articles | Refine sidebar → Item Type → Article | Filters remove reviews, front matter, and notices |
| Target a field | Refine sidebar → Subject | Disciplines like Sociology, Biology, or Philosophy |
| Focus a time window | Refine sidebar → Publication Date | A fixed year span or a sliding decade window |
| Show items you can read | Refine sidebar → Access Type | Toggle to include only full access for your account |
Search like a pro with Advanced Search
When a topic is broad or a name is common, head straight to Advanced Search. Fielded search lets you send the right words to the right boxes. That stops long result sets from drowning out what you need.
Use the Title field for the core concept. Add synonyms in another row with OR. Keep names in the Author field. Add a phrase in quotes to the Abstract field if you want articles where that idea sits at the center. Switch the connector between rows to AND to insist on a match across fields.
Below the main boxes, you can narrow by item type, language, date span, journal or book title, and ISBN or ISSN. Those fields are fast and reliable. They save you from later cleanup.
Once you’ve run the query, add the same filters you used in the quick start. Pick Journals inside Content Type and pick Article inside Item Type. Combine that with a subject filter to cut across long lists of journals that share a keyword but not a field.
Searching for peer reviewed journals in JSTOR: pro tips
Peer review sits at the journal level. A single issue may also carry non-refereed items such as book notes and editor notes. So treat “peer-reviewed” as a property of the journal and “research article” as a property of the item.
Confirm the review process
Open the journal page on JSTOR and look for links that lead to the publisher site. The publisher page often lists the editorial board, aims and scope, and the review policy. Terms you’ll see include blind review, double-blind review, and editorial review. You don’t need to copy the whole policy into your notes. A citation to that page is enough for most instructors and style guides.
Use proof when needed
Some collections on JSTOR include older serials and primary sources. Those items may predate modern peer review. If you need to mix current articles with older material, label the older items as primary sources in your notes. Keep research articles for the core argument in your paper, and use reviews and commentary for context and keywords.
Spot scholarly articles fast
On each item page, use the metadata block to check the type, journal, volume, issue, and page span. Articles with page spans over ten pages are likely to be research pieces. Short items often mark reviews, comments, or front matter. Read the first page preview to confirm sections like methods, results, and discussion for science, or argument and evidence for the humanities and social sciences.
Watch the item type labels. Common labels include Article, Review, Book Review, Editorial, Erratum, and Front Matter. For a peer-reviewed set, keep items labeled Article. You can cite reviews when you’re studying reception or building a reading list, but they won’t meet a strict “peer-reviewed article” requirement.
The journal info box helps with trust signals. Note the publisher and the sponsoring society if one is listed. Save that info with your citation so you can trace it later.
Build better queries with smart operators
Quotation marks set an exact phrase. Use them for names and fixed titles. Asterisk works as a wildcard on the end of a root word to pull plurals and simple variants. Boolean connectors keep ideas straight: AND narrows, OR broadens, NOT removes noise. Use parentheses to group logic: (urban OR city) AND planning keeps the memory straight when you add more rows.
Set a date span that fits the field. Fields like genetics shift fast, while fields like medieval history draw on old and new work. If the list feels stale, bump the start year forward. If it feels too trendy, widen the span and sort by relevance.
Speed moves that save time
Shortcuts keep you moving. On results, press Ctrl/Cmd+Enter to open a link in a new tab. Use the browser’s find box to jump to keywords on the first page. Create a saved search in your bookmarks with prefilled parameters, then change the query terms each session. Keep a text expander snippet for your boolean frame, such as two OR groups joined with AND. Name your filters out loud as you click them: “Journals, Article, last five years.” That habit keeps you from skipping a step when you’re tired. When you pivot topics, clear filters before typing the next query. Many missed records come from a forgotten filter. At the end of a session, export citations in one batch and stash PDFs in a dated folder.
Assess fit and quality before you download
Read the abstract and skim the first page. Does the piece answer your question or give you a method you can reuse? Check the references for names you already trust. A paper that engages the standard works usually fits better in a literature review than a paper that floats alone.
Click “Cite this item” to grab a draft citation and to export to tools like Zotero, EndNote, and Mendeley. Always proof the formatting against your style guide. The export saves time, but small fixes are common.
Use the stable URL on the item page in your notes. That link stays valid across sessions and devices. If you’re sharing with a class, add your proxy prefix if your campus uses one, or share the PDF inside your LMS per your license.
Read across JSTOR and beyond
Good searches chain forward and backward. On JSTOR, use “Cited by” and “References” when available. Follow author names to see more work in the same area. When an item sits behind a paywall on JSTOR, check the publisher link, an author repository, or a campus request tool to get a copy. Many authors post preprints that are fine for early reading. For the paper you cite, stick with the final version when you can.
Mix search strategies. Combine JSTOR with your subject database so you don’t miss newer work or conference papers that haven’t reached the archive yet. Keep your spreadsheet of queries and filters. When a search didn’t work, note the dead ends so you don’t repeat them.
Troubleshooting and quick fixes
Run into snags? Use this grid to fix the common ones.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fast fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too many off-topic hits | Broad keywords without fields | Move to Advanced Search and set fields |
| Only book reviews appear | Item Type left at “All” | Set Item Type → Article |
| Great item, no full text | No access on your account | Toggle Access Type or use campus request tools |
| Unclear if the journal uses peer review | Info missing on the item page | Open the journal or publisher site and read the policy |
| Duplicate records | Multiple editions or supplements | Match volume, issue, and year; keep one |
Keep your notes clean and citable
Create a short template for each source: full citation, stable URL, journal review policy link, three takeaways, and tags. Copy the abstract, then write your own one-line summary. Add a quote with page numbers if you plan to cite a passage. Tag the entry with methods, themes, and the core claim so you can group sources fast.
When you download a PDF, rename the file with the first author, year, short title, and journal. Put the files in a single folder per course or project. Use the same scheme for every item so you can scan the folder and spot gaps in a minute.
Cite sources the smart way
Grab the formatted citation from the item page as a starter, but verify it against the guide for your style. Journal titles, volume numbers, page spans, and DOIs need special care. If a DOI is present, include it. If not, use the stable URL. Your later self will thank you when you rebuild the list for a grant or a thesis chapter.
Many classes need a minimum number of peer-reviewed sources. Keep a running counter in your notes and list the journal review policy link next to each qualifying item. That turns a grading check into a copy-paste step.
Ethics and good form
Read and cite with care. If you only cite the sentence that matches your argument, you risk misreading a nuanced paper. Skim the full piece, not just the abstract. Quote sparingly and paraphrase with care. If you reuse a chart or image from a PDF, check rights on the item page and the journal site. When you’re unsure about reuse, ask your instructor or your librarian.
Research is a team sport. Give credit to classmates who share leads. When you find a killer source, pass it on with a line about why it helped. Small habits like that turn a stack of PDFs into a shared library that saves hours for the whole group.
A mini glossary for faster work
Article: Research paper inside a journal issue. Often carries sections like methods and results.
Review: Book review or review essay. Great for leads, not counted as a peer-reviewed article in many rubrics.
Front matter: Editorial pages at the start of an issue. Includes mastheads and short notes.
Stable URL: A link that doesn’t change across sessions. Use it in notes and in reading lists.
Refereed: Another term for peer-reviewed. Journals use it in submission guidelines.
Where to learn more
To master filters, read the official guide on Using Filters and Facets. To sharpen Advanced Search, see Using Fields and Advanced Search. For clarity on peer review across the platform, check Are JSTOR articles peer-reviewed? Save those pages in your notes so you can point classmates to the same playbook.