There's no clear yes or no answer to this question. The requirements for each assignment are different, but typically instructors want to see that you have found scholarly articles. It's important to remember that peer-reviewed articles are a subset of scholarly articles—not all scholarly articles are peer reviewed. Be sure to evaluate your source to determine if it is scholarly or not, even if it is not peer reviewed. If you're still not sure if you can use the article for your assignment, try this:
- Read over your assignment again. Were you asked to provide peer-reviewed sources or scholarly sources? Remember, there is a difference. If your instructor only wants peer-reviewed sources and the article you found is from a journal that is not peer reviewed, you probably can't use the article for that assignment.
- Ask a librarian. If you're having trouble evaluating whether an article is scholarly, a librarian should be able to help. The librarians can also help you find similar articles that you could use.
- Check with your instructor. Your instructor will be the best judge of whether an article is appropriate for your assignment because they will be the one grading it. But be considerate—do as much work as you can by yourself or with the help of a librarian, and use your instructor as a last resort.