Check the journal’s peer-review policy, confirm MEDLINE status in the NLM Catalog, and verify received/accepted dates on the article page.
Why Peer Review Checks Matter In Medicine
Medical decisions lean on reliable studies. Before you cite a trial, teach a class, or share a claim, make sure the paper truly went through outside critique. This guide gives you a clean, repeatable process that works across publishers and databases. No guesswork. No jargon. Just steps you can run in minutes.
Fast Checklist For Medical Peer Review
Start with a quick scan using the checks below. If most boxes look good, move to the deeper steps in the next sections.
| What To Check | Where To Look | Green Flag |
|---|---|---|
| Received/Accepted dates | Article PDF or HTML header/footer | Dates present and in logical order |
| Peer-review policy | Journal site: About or Policies | Model named with clear steps and criteria |
| Editor and board | Masthead or Editorial Board page | Named editors with real affiliations |
| Contact details | Journal footer or Contact page | Physical address and working email |
| Indexing status | NLM Catalog record | Currently indexed in MEDLINE |
| Open access listing | DOAJ record | Journal found with peer-review info |
| Article type label | Article header and PDF front page | Original research, meta-analysis, or review |
| Submission system | Author guidelines | Recognized platform and conflict checks |
| Turnaround claims | Author guidelines and emails | Realistic timelines and no guarantees |
| Metrics and badges | Article page and journal site | No fake factors; clear data and ethics badges |
Ways To Check If A Medical Article Is Peer Reviewed
Follow these steps in order. Each one adds clarity and cuts the risk of citing weak material.
Scan The Article Page For Review Milestones
Open the article on the publisher site. Look near the title or at the end for a small line with dates like Received, Revised, and Accepted. Those stamps show the manuscript moved through rounds of review. Many journals also display the handling editor name. If you see only a posting date and no trail, keep digging with the steps below.
Read The Journal’s Peer-Review Policy
Every serious journal publishes a clear peer-review policy. Find it under sections labeled About, Editorial Policies, or Instructions for Authors. You should see the review model stated in plain terms, such as single-blind, double-blind, or open. Look for details on reviewer selection, conflict checks, and how appeals work. If the policy is missing or vague, treat the paper with caution.
Confirm MEDLINE Status In The NLM Catalog
Use the National Library of Medicine Catalog to see if the journal is currently indexed in MEDLINE. That status means the title passed selection by an external committee and receives MeSH indexing. It is not a blanket seal for every article type, but it does tell you the journal meets set standards. If the record reads Not currently indexed in MEDLINE, be extra careful and rely on the other checks here.
Check DOAJ For Open Access Titles
If the journal is open access, look it up in the Directory of Open Access Journals. DOAJ screens entries and requires a clear peer-review process before listing. A match here pairs well with the other checks. If the journal is missing, that alone is not a verdict, so keep going.
Identify The Article Type
Peer review usually applies to original research, meta-analyses, and full reviews. Some items in medical journals bypass that process, such as letters, editorials, news notes, and obituaries. Supplements and special issues can also follow a different path. Read the article header and the PDF front matter to confirm the type.
Look For Editorial Board And Contacts
A transparent journal lists editors and affiliations and provides a real postal address, not just a web form. Scan the masthead or About page. Cross-check a few names with their home institutions. If you find broken pages, vague titles, or no board at all, treat that as a warning.
Watch For Red Flags
Be wary of claims like instant acceptance, guaranteed fast publication, or invented metrics. Promises of payment for citations, hidden fees, or fake indexing labels also count as red flags. If emails from the journal sound pushy or sloppy, pause and verify everything.
Use Independent Signals
Search PubPeer for comments on the paper or the journal. Look for retraction notices in databases and on the journal site. Citations in trusted guidelines and major textbooks can add context, though you still need the checks above.
How To Read Peer Review Cues In PubMed
PubMed does not offer a filter that limits results to peer-reviewed journals. Most journals indexed in PubMed run peer review, but policy and rigor vary. To be sure, click through to the journal page, confirm the peer-review policy, and then run the NLM Catalog check. When you apply PubMed filters for Article types, remember that items like Editorial or Letter may not reflect outside review.
Checking Whether A Medicine Journal Article Is Peer-Reviewed: Step-By-Step
Here is a simple path you can reuse. First, confirm the article type. Second, read the peer-review policy on the journal site. Third, check MEDLINE status in the NLM Catalog. Fourth, look for Received and Accepted dates on the article. Fifth, search DOAJ if the journal is open access. Finish by scanning for red flags or post-publication notes.
What Peer Review Usually Includes In Medicine
Reviewers outside the author team read the methods, data, and claims. They comment on study design, sample size, outcomes, statistics, and ethics. Editors weigh those reports and ask for changes or extra checks. Some journals share reports or badges that confirm open data or registered analysis plans. The exact process differs by title, so the journal policy page remains your anchor.
Tools And What Each One Confirms
Use the matrix below when you need to pick the right tool for the question at hand.
| Tool | What It Confirms | How To Use It |
|---|---|---|
| NLM Catalog | Journal selection and MEDLINE status | Search the journal title; read the record line |
| Journal website | Peer-review policy and article dates | Find policy pages and check article timeline |
| DOAJ | Peer-review requirement for OA titles | Search the ISSN or title and read the record |
| Ulrichsweb | Refereed status flag | Use your library access and look for the referee icon |
| PubPeer | Post-publication comments | Search the DOI and scan for threads |
| Retraction listings | Notices and expressions of concern | Search the journal site and trusted trackers |
Common Pitfalls And How To Avoid Them
Do not rely on a database logo alone. Indexing names can sound similar yet mean different things. A PubMed record might link to a journal that is in MEDLINE or one that is only archived in a repository. Also note that a peer-reviewed journal can still publish non-reviewed content types. When in doubt, rerun the checks, read the policy page, and keep notes with links.
A Simple Confidence Score You Can Use
Give each core signal one point. Peer-review policy found and clear: one. MEDLINE indexed: one. Article shows Received and Accepted dates: one. DOAJ match for open access: one. No red flags from the list above: one. Three or more points usually signal that you can cite the paper with comfort. If you land at two or less, add more checks or pick a stronger source.
Document Your Check So Others Can Repeat It
Save the journal policy link, the NLM Catalog record, and a PDF copy with the dates visible. Note any contact with the editor. Store all of this in your reference manager or lab wiki. That way anyone on your team can retrace the path later.
Teach The Process To Students And Colleagues
Run the checklist live during journal club. Assign pairs to test each step on a recent paper. Swap results across pairs and compare notes. Repeat every term with fresh articles so the routine sticks.
Edge Cases You Will See
Conference abstracts: short items may list a date but skip full review. Preprints: great for early access, yet they are not peer-reviewed articles. Rapid communications: speed can be real during outbreaks, but the policy still needs to be public and specific. Registered Reports: peer review occurs before data collection; look for the label on the article.
Small Glossary For Faster Checks
Peer review: outside experts read and comment on a manuscript before acceptance. Single-blind: reviewers know the author names; authors do not know the reviewers. Double-blind: neither side sees names during review. Open review: names or reports are shared. Registered Report: methods and analysis plans are judged up front; acceptance comes before data collection. Desk reject: editors decline a paper before sending it to reviewers. Preprint: a public version posted before journal review; useful for speed, but not a reviewed article.
When A Journal Is New
New titles can take time to appear in catalogs. In that case, study the site harder. Read the peer-review policy in full. Check the editor names and look up their home pages. Ask your library if the title is under evaluation for indexing. If the journal is run by a society or a hospital, contact the office and ask about the editorial workflow and archiving plans.
When Authors Pay Article Processing Charges
Many medical journals charge APCs. Payment alone does not mean weak review. What matters is the policy page, the board, and the clarity of the process. Legit titles publish fee waivers, explain who sets charges, and separate financial staff from editorial decisions. If fees appear only at the last step or in spam emails, walk away.
How To Check A Single Paper Quickly
Copy the journal title and search it in the NLM Catalog. Read the line that states the indexing status. Open the journal site in a new tab and find the peer-review policy. Open the article PDF and look for Received and Accepted dates. If all three look solid, add a note to your reference entry with links to the policy and catalog. If one or more are missing, run the added checks in the matrix table.
Citation Hygiene For Teams
Pick a short template and reuse it across your group. Add fields for peer-review policy URL, MEDLINE status, and article timeline. During writing, paste the template under each core reference. Before submission, one teammate scans the templates and flags items that still lack proof.
How To Read A Journal Record In The NLM Catalog
Open the record and scan the top box. The line that matters reads Currently indexed in MEDLINE, Not currently indexed in MEDLINE, or Selectively indexed. Scroll to the Links field to find the journal website and the publisher. Look for the ISSN and the country of publication. If you see a note about PubMed Central deposits, that tells you where full text might live, not the review policy. Use the record as a directory plus a status flag, then return to the journal site for policy details.
Peer Review Does Not Replace Study Appraisal
A paper can be peer-reviewed and still have weak methods. Run basic design checks that match the study type. For trials, confirm registration, randomization, and primary outcomes. For diagnostics, confirm sample selection and blinding. For systematic reviews, check a protocol link and a complete search strategy. These checks sit next to the peer-review steps and keep your evidence lines strong.
Takeaways You Can Apply Today
Peer review status is not a mystery tag. It is visible when you know where to look. Run the checklist, confirm the policy, and read the journal record in trusted catalogs. Build a tiny checklist card and keep it near your search window. When a new paper appears in your feed, run the card line by line, paste the links, and move on. That rhythm keeps your reviews fast, fair, and repeatable across projects.