- Multiple Authors (usually):
Does it have more than one author listed? Although some peer-reviewed articles may have a single author it is more common for there to be multiple authors - original research takes a lot of workers! - Author Affiliation:
Are the authors' affiliations provided at the beginning or end of the article? Their affiliation is where they work, typically a University or research institution. - Article Length:
Is the article more than 2 pages in length? You may find some peer-reviewed articles that are 3-5 pages, but they are usually much longer. - Abstract:
Does the article include an abstract written by the authors? This should appear at the beginning. - Indicator Words:
Does the abstract include indicator words such as “the present study …. examined …measured … identified ...results indicated?” All of these tell you that this is a report on original research. - Article Sections:
If you open the article does it have sections for an introduction, methods, results, discussion? - Illustrations:
Are there illustrations? Research results are frequently reported with charts, graphs, tables, drawings and photographs of specimens. - Submission and Acceptance Dates:
At the end or the beginning, does it include the dates when the article was submitted and accepted for publication? - References:
Are there lots of references at the end of the article? Some peer-reviewed articles have several pages of references. - About the Journal:
Sometimes the databases get it wrong; visit the journal's homepage and look at their 'for authors' information if you need to verify their publication standards and procedures.
What about Law Reviews? Law review articles will appear in your results after you limit your search to peer-reviewed. Law journals are the main type of scholarly periodical in the legal field, and most instructors put them in the same category as peer reviewed scholarly journals in other fields. However, technically most law journals do not use a peer review process. If your instructor wants you to evaluate the method, results and conclusions of a study this article won't fit the bill. If your instructor simply wants you to use appropriate academic research articles for your topic this would work great.
How do I know if it is empirical? An empirical study is based on experiment or observation, rather than theory. An empirical study may involve analysis of an existing data set or the authors may have gathered their own data. Qualitative research may involve interviews or observation of subjects, rather than a survey or experiment. While most empirical studies include a review of the literature. some peer-reviewed articles are only literature reviews; very useful, but not empirical.
Bottom line: check with your instructor if you read this and still cannot be sure a particular article meets their requirements.