Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
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JSTOR describes most of its journals as peer-reviewed but states that not everything on the platform is. Its own help center says that primary sources, open content and research reports are not peer-reviewed, and that JSTOR cannot currently limit a search to peer-reviewed material. Whether an item suits your purpose therefore depends on what kind of item it is, which journal or book it comes from, and what you need it for. This page sets out what JSTOR itself says, as checked on 2026-10-29, and leaves the judgement to you.
What JSTOR is
JSTOR is a digital library of academic content that you search on one platform. Its “What’s in JSTOR” page lists these content types: peer-reviewed journals, scholarly ebooks, primary sources, images, research reports, open and free content, and shared collections. For the basics of what the service is and how it relates to other databases, see our guide Is JSTOR a database?
Who runs it and what it covers
JSTOR publishes its own scale figures on its “What’s in JSTOR” page (checked 2026-10-29). They are the platform’s statements, not independent counts:
- 12 million or more journal articles, drawn from 2,800 or more journals in the archive.
- 158,000 or more scholarly books.
- 2 million or more images and multimedia items.
- 80,000 or more open access research reports from 187 think tanks.
The same page describes JSTOR as putting “peer-reviewed journals, scholarly ebooks, primary sources, and millions of images on one trusted platform.” That is how JSTOR describes itself. The page does not give selection criteria for books, primary sources, images or reports, so this page does not make claims about how those are chosen. Journal selection is covered by a separate publisher help page, summarised below. To see what the journal collection looks like, read JSTOR journals: what they are and how to find the list.
What JSTOR says about peer review
JSTOR’s help article “Are JSTOR articles peer-reviewed?” (checked 2026-10-29) gives a direct answer. It says the majority of journals collected in JSTOR are considered peer-reviewed publications, but not all publications technically qualify as peer-reviewed. It also states that JSTOR currently has no way to limit search results to peer-reviewed material, and it recommends asking a librarian or instructor about a specific journal or book.
The same article names the content that is not peer-reviewed. The table below follows that list.
| Content on JSTOR | What JSTOR’s help article says |
|---|---|
| Journals | The majority are considered peer-reviewed publications; not all qualify. |
| Items labelled “Primary Source” (historical journals, images, pamphlet collections) | Not peer-reviewed. |
| Open content (community collections, open images) | Not peer-reviewed. |
| Research reports | Not peer-reviewed. |
For what peer review means as a process, see the dictionary entry on peer review.
How JSTOR selects journals
JSTOR’s publisher help page “Editorial Review Process” (checked 2026-10-29) describes how a journal is considered for the archive. It states that the selection criteria are the historical significance of the title, citation analysis, and relevance to a scholarly audience. It says JSTOR looks at the journal’s content and scope, its audience, its editors or editorial board, and its review process.
Further factors the page lists include publication history, the number of institutional subscribers, inclusion in indices of scholarly significance, ties to scholarly organizations, citation or ranking data, and accolades or recommendations from the scholarly community. The page also says JSTOR will be in touch only if it can include a publication.
Two points follow from this wording. First, “review process” is one input among several, so inclusion in JSTOR is not described as a peer-review certification of every title. Second, the criteria concern journals; the page says nothing about how books, images or reports are chosen.
How to check an individual item
Because JSTOR provides no peer-review filter, the check happens item by item. These points are drawn from JSTOR’s own statements above rather than from a general rule:
- Look at the content type. JSTOR says items labelled “Primary Source”, open content and research reports are not peer-reviewed. A historical pamphlet or an image is a different kind of source from a journal article.
- Look at the journal behind the article. JSTOR’s selection criteria refer to the journal’s editors or editorial board and its review process. A journal’s own site or policy page is the place to read its review process.
- Ask a librarian or instructor. This is the step JSTOR’s help article itself recommends for a specific journal or book.
- Match the source to the purpose. A primary source can be exactly what a historical question needs, even though JSTOR says it is not peer-reviewed.
Our guide How to find peer-reviewed journals covers databases, filters and verification across platforms.
Strengths and limits
What JSTOR states in its favour
- The platform publishes written journal selection criteria, including editorial board and review process.
- Most journals in the collection are, in its words, considered peer-reviewed.
- It says it curates and preserves content so that links remain stable.
What JSTOR states as limits
- Not every publication qualifies as peer-reviewed.
- There is no way to search only peer-reviewed material.
- Primary sources, open content and research reports fall outside peer review.
Alternatives and companions
JSTOR is one of several places researchers look for scholarly sources, and the check described above applies to any of them. Our guide to Project MUSE describes another scholarly platform. For the separate JSTOR Daily publication, see JSTOR Daily: what it is and how to use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is JSTOR reliable?
JSTOR says it hosts mainly peer-reviewed journals on a platform it calls trusted, and it publishes criteria for selecting journals. It also says not all content is peer-reviewed. This page reports those statements and does not add its own rating.
Is everything on JSTOR peer-reviewed?
No. JSTOR’s help article says that while the majority of journals are considered peer-reviewed, not all publications technically qualify, and that primary sources, open content and research reports are not peer-reviewed.
Can I search JSTOR for peer-reviewed articles only?
According to JSTOR’s help article, there is currently no way to limit a search to peer-reviewed publications. It recommends asking a librarian or instructor about a specific journal or book.
How does JSTOR decide which journals to include?
Its publisher help page lists historical significance, citation analysis and relevance to a scholarly audience, and says it evaluates the journal’s editors or editorial board and its review process, among other factors.
Sources
Official JSTOR pages, checked 2026-10-29.
- JSTOR, “What’s in JSTOR”: https://about.jstor.org/whats-in-jstor/
- JSTOR Support, “Searching: Are JSTOR articles peer-reviewed?”: https://support.jstor.org/hc/en-us/articles/115011338628-Searching-Are-JSTOR-articles-peer-reviewed-
- JSTOR Publisher Support, “Editorial Review Process”: https://support.publishers.jstor.org/hc/en-us/articles/360044318434-Editorial-Review-Process
