Have more questions? Contact Scholarly Communication and Publishing at scpub@illinois.edu for more information and guidance.
The Ask a Librarian service for general reference is available during all of the hours when the Main Library is open. Visit the Ask a Librarian page to chat with a librarian.
It isn't hard to find peer-reviewed sources: you just need to know where to look! If you start in the right place, you can usually find a relevant, peer-reviewed source for your research in as few clicks as a Google search, and you can even use many of the search techniques you use in Google and Wikipedia.
The easiest way to find a peer-reviewed article is by using one of the Library's numerous databases. All of the Library's databases are listed in the Online Journals and Databases index. The databases are divided by name and discipline.
Departmental libraries and library subject guides have created subject-focused lists of electronic and print research resources that are useful for their disciplines. You can search the library directory for links to the departmental libraries at the University of Illinois Library, or search library websites by college if you're not sure which departmental library serves your subject.
There are numerous print and digital resources for specific disciplines, areas of study, and specialist fields. To find research resources and databases for your area, consult the comprehensive directory of LibGuides, the websites of specialist libraries, and above all, contact a librarian for help!
Here are a few major databases for finding peer-reviewed research sources in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences:
Indexes critical materials on literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore. Proved access to citations from worldwide publications, including periodicals, books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations and bibliographies.
Alternate version: Academic Search Ultimate in the classic EBSCO user interface (best for exporting more than 50 results or combining saved searches). A scholarly, multidisciplinary database providing indexing and abstracts for over 10,000 publications, including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, and others. Also includes full-text access to over 5,000 journals. Offers coverage of many areas of academic study including: archaeology, area studies, astronomy, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, ethnic & multicultural studies, food science & technology, general science, geography, geology, law, mathematics, mechanical engineering, music, physics, psychology, religion & theology, women's studies, and other fields.
Alternate version: Business Source Ultimate in the classic EBSCO user interface (best for exporting more than 50 results or combining saved searches). Provides bibliographic and full text content, including indexing and abstracts for scholarly business journals back as far as 1886 and full text journal articles in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, MIS, POM, accounting, finance and economics. The database full text content includes financial data, books, monographs, major reference works, book digests, conference proceedings, case studies, investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses and more.