Another approach is to use research databases that let you limit your search to Peer-Reviewed Articles: 

1. ProQuest Databases has a filter to only show articles from Peer-Reviewed Journals and Conferences (focuses on all subjects, but also includes Theses & Dissertations). Find the Peer-Review check box on the Advanced Search and Search Results pages. ProQuest has a wide range of non-peer-reviewed materials so it's important to use that filter. 
2. Scopus is a database that only contains Peer-Reviewed materials (focused more on sciences and social sciences)
3. UofT LibrarySearch has a Peer-review articles filter on its search results page 

ProQuest is a platform containing over a 100 databases that hold an array of publications (i.e., newspaper, magazines, journals, and book titles) in different subjects areas including business, sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. This search platform also holds a key collection of PhD Dissertations and Masters Theses. 

Learn more about ProQuest Search Tips

1) Choosing your Search Terms

Enter search terms on separate lines e.g., enter title of film on the top line, director's last name below, so as to articulate your search request. Use Boolean Operators to improve your seach:

• AND - narrows your search (e.g., Procrastination AND Instagram)
• OR - widens your search (e.g., film OR movies OR cinema, youth OR teen OR "young adult",  “ebook” OR "e-Book")
• Quotations marks - search for specific phrases (e.g., "Great Lakes", "First Nations", "speed-networking")
• Wildcard * - search for root word with different endings  (e.g. enviro* = environment, environments, environmentalism)

2) Sort your Results 

Sort your results (relevance, date) 

• Sort by Date: It may be useful to arrange the results chronologically (oldest first) in order to follow the entire production process of a particular film, from gossip about potential stars to reviews and box-office grosses.

3) Using ProQuest Search Filters

Narrow your search results using filters on left sidebar

• Peer Review - click the check box
• Source Type (e.g., Scholarly Journals)
• Date Range 
• Document Type (e.g., Feature, Front Page/Cover Story, Article, Literature Review)

3) Mark relevant records

If you find interesting articles, be sure to . 

• Go to the results page and click the check box to the left of the article title  
• When you are ready to email the articles to yourself, scroll to the top of the results list and click on Email link (on right side)
• Email the marked records to yourself 

Another option is to create a free ProQuest MyResearch account.

Scopus  

Scopus is a platform containing international peer review research. Scopus contains publications (i.e., journals and book titles) in different subjects areas including business, sciences, and social sciences with some arts, and humanities resources. 

1) Choosing your Search Terms

Enter search terms on separate lines e.g., enter title of film on the top line, director's last name below, so as to articulate your search request. Use Boolean Operators to improve your seach:

• AND (narrows your search e.g., Procrastination AND Instagram)
• OR (widens your search e.g., film OR movies OR cinema, youth OR teen OR "young adult",  “ebook” OR "e-Book")
• Quotations marks (search for specific phrases, e.g., "Great Lakes", "First Nations", "speed-networking")
• Wildcard * (search for root word with different endings, e.g. enviro* = environment, environments, environmentalism

2) Sort your Results 

Default is "Most Recent" - Most Relevant will be more useful. 

3) Mark relevant records

If you find interesting articles, be sure to . 

• Go to the results page and click the check box to the left of the article title  
• When you are ready to email the articles to yourself, scroll to the top of the results list and click on Email link (on right side)
• Email the marked records to yourself 

"Peer-reviewed Articles" is one of the filter options in LibrarySearch. Selecting this filter limits your search results to articles published in scholarly journals that use a peer-review editorial process. 

Understanding Peer Review

Peer Review is:

• The formal process by which researchers critically appraise each other's work to ensure a high level of scholarship in a journal and to improve the quality and readability of a manuscript. 
• Applied to both primary articles (i.e. articles which present findings from original research) and review articles that summarize primary research. 
   

How this Filter Works

LibrarySearch is integrated with UlrichsWeb, a periodical index that includes the peer-review status of more than 300,000 journals. When you select this filter, LibrarySearch instantly narrows your results to those UlrichsWeb indicates are peer-reviewed.