For English 101 and 102 students, this lessons walks through the process of finding peer reviewed sources. It has only the basics, however, so consult a librarian for more information.

1. How to Find Peer Reviewed
Sources at the OTC Library
(and Help!)
ENG 102
Wanda “Gwen” Zimmerman

2. Peer Reviewed Sources
• In any type of writing, sources must be accurate and up-to-date, but in
academic papers, this aspect is even more important. In papers written for
school, sources must be scholarly. The “best” option is to use peer-reviewed
sources and for papers in this class, they are required.
• Peer reviewed sources are articles found in scholarly journals, etc., that are
not published until the articles are reviewed by experts in the field. This
ensures their reliability and the credibility of the authors.

3. How to Find Them
• This PPT will walk you through the steps of finding peer reviewed sources
via the OTC library webpage.
• IF you have questions or want help in finding sources, the librarians will be
happy to help you and Live Chat is available during certain hours.

4. You can access the library via the OTC website or My OTC. You need to be signed in to access the databases.

5. https://academics.otc.edu/library/
Once on the start page, choose “Search
(Find Books & Databases)”
You can also opt to ask a librarian
a question—Live Chat is not
always available, though.

6. https://academics.otc.edu/library/search
Notice the option to chat
with a librarian; this option
is not always available, but
Live Chat is possible
during certain hours.
The staff will be happy to
help you!
Note the quick links: I will use EBSCO as an
example on the next page.

7. Search for ONLY full text articles. Do not use abstracts!
There are other options not shown in the screenshot, so scroll down the actual page to see them.
Check “Peer
Reviewed.”
Note search options
(search AFTER
“Peer Reviewed”
and “Full Text” are
chosen.)

8. There is also an option that
allows OTC students to get
books from other schools
via SWAN and MOBIUS.
It can take up to a week to
receive them, though, so
consider time before using
this option.
If you are curious about this
option, discuss it with a
librarian.

9. There is a video that gives
search tips:
https://academics.otc.edu/li
brary/research/

10. Utilize the resources available to you: https://academics.otc.edu/library/one-on-
one/

11. And there are links to MLA, including
Knightcite:
https://academics.otc.edu/library/researc
h/

12. • If you encounter difficulty in finding sources that relate to your topic, try
various key words. If you cannot find any peer reviewed sources, you will
have to change the topic as they are a requirement.
• I recommend that you look for sources ASAP in case a search proves
fruitless. This usually happens when a topic is not academic, per se, i.e. the
problems with wild horse herds in the Western USA. Sometimes, a related
article can be found; for the example of wild horses, an article on
environmental issues in those areas might be applicable.

13. Final Exam!
• Not only are peer reviewed sources a must for academic papers, but the final
exam will be on sources and how to evaluate them. Knowing how to discern
peer reviewed sources from other types will behoove you.
• Also, keep in mind that after the quota of peer reviewed sources is met,
other source can be used. HOWEVER, they must also be evaluated for their
reliability and the credibility of the authors. Also, consider documentaries,
personal interviews with experts in the field, and other modes of obtaining
information, but to reiterate: they must be reliable and credible.