Research Basics

What does peer review mean?

Peer review is a process by which a scholarly work is checked by a group of experts in the same field to make sure it meets the necessary standards before it is published or accepted. Peer reviewing may also be called refereeing.

The high standard of quality set by article reviewers results in the highest quality scholarly articles. Using these high quality sources will improve the quality of your own work.

What is a scholarly journal? Is it the same as a peer reviewed journal?

While the terms "peer-review" and "scholarly" are often used simultaneously, they are not the same thing.

Scholarly journals are essentially a place for researchers to publish studies and original works in a dedicated field. Not all scholarly journals make the peer-review process a condition for publication.

Scholarly journals that do not have a peer-review process are less common, but they do exist.

How do I know if something is peer reviewed?

• Some databases will give you the option to limit search results to peer review articles. Look for the option to limit to a review article on a databases search page.
• Most journals in PubMed are peer reviewed, therefore there is no option to limit your search to peer reviewed articles. 
• Also, you can check the website a of journal to see if it's editorial policy includes peer review.
• You can always check with a librarian or professor if you are unsure!
• There are some items that are never considered peer reviewed even if they are published inside a journal that uses a peer review process. Those items include:
  • Letters to the editor
  • Opinion articles
  • Book reviews/Product reviews

Additionally, you can look up the journal in the library's Journal Finder:

1. On the Library homepage, click on Journal Finder.
2. In the search box, type in the title of the journal (NOT the article title).  
3. When you find the journal you are looking for and see the phrase "Peer Reviewed", you can rest assured that the journal is a peer reviewed journal.

Peer reviewed articles typically have the following features:

• An abstract (summary) on the first page
• Organization by headings such as Introduction, Literature Review, and Conclusion
• Citations throughout and a bibliography or reference list at the end
• Credentialed authors, usually affiliated with a research institute or university
• Scholarly, technical language written for an audience of scholars and experts in the field
• More than 10 pages in length (usually, but not always)
• Published in a scholarly journal

The Library OneSearch searches across multiple databases at the same time.

To find peer-reviewed journal articles using the Library OneSearch:

1. Perform a keyword search in the Library OneSearch search bar on the Arnold Bernhard Library homepage.
2. From the results list, click on the Academic (Peer-Reviewed) Journals button below the search bar at the top of the page.
3. This will filter your results list to peer-reviewed articles.
   • Clicking on the All Filters button will provide you with additional limiters to help you narrow down your search.
4. As you browse the results list, if an article title catches your eye, click on the title to open up additional information about the article. Here you can typically find the Abstract (or Summary) which will help you determine if you should access the Full Text, if available.
5. To access the Full Text of an article, if available, click on the Access Options dropdown link and select either Online Full Text or PDF.
   • You may also see Access Now (PDF) links that will bring you to the full text of the article.