This document discusses peer-reviewed journals and how to identify them. It explains that peer-reviewed or refereed journals have articles that are reviewed by both an editor and experts in the field before being published. This ensures accuracy and that the research meets academic standards. The document provides several ways to determine if a journal is peer-reviewed, including checking the journal itself for review boards or publication details, the journal publisher's website for submission guidelines mentioning review, or using the Ulrich's database to identify peer-reviewed titles. Narrowing searches to peer-reviewed sources ensures findings meet scholarly quality standards.

1. What is a
peer-reviewed journal?

2. Assignment due at
the next class:
•Find 4 peer-reviewed journal
articles on:
“Invasive species in the
Southeast”
•Write a 100-word summary
for each
A typical class assignment

3. For general periodicals (magazines) an editor
(typically a professional journalist) reviews each
article to ensure accuracy and appropriateness for that
publication.
Who Reviews Journals?

4. • In scholarly or academic journals, articles are
generally reviewed by both an editor and a selected
panel of professional scholars or experts in the
field.
• These journals (& articles) are termed peer-
reviewed or refereed.
What is Peer-Review?

5. Why does peer-review matter?
• Refereed or peer-reviewed material meets the
standards the academic community seeks to maintain
for its scholarship
• Peer-reviewed material is recognized by scholars and
experts as contributing to the field of knowledge on a
given topic

6. Peer-Review’s Functions
What it does
• Ensure standards of:
- method, form
- accuracy
- documentation of
sources
• Demonstrate
consistency with the
discipline’s basic
standards of evidence
What it does not do
• assure validity of
argument
• endorse conclusions
• censor ideas
• declare the issues are
resolved

7. How can I tell if a Journal is Peer-Reviewed?
You can find out if a journal is peer-reviewed in
a number of ways
− Check the journal itself (paper copy)
− Check the journal publisher’s website
− Check the title in ULRICHSWEB (from the BSC
Library Database list)
− Use special features in journal databases to sort out
peer-reviewed or scholarly articles (easiest method, if
available)

8. Checking the paper copy of the journal
• Often the journal will state that it is peer-reviewed or
refereed
• The characteristics to look for include:
– An editorial or advisory board
– Information that states when each article was received,
revised, and accepted
– Publication by a university, foundation, or other scholarly
organizations

9. Checking the paper
edition of a journal:
Law & Society
Review
The Law & Society
Review is a peer-
reviewed publication. . .

10. Checking the paper
edition of a journal:
The Hemingway
Review
Editorial Board lists
scholars who review
the quality of the
articles published

11. Checking the journal publisher’s website
• Look under “about this journal” for information
describing the journal. You may also find info in:
– “submission guidelines”
– “memo to authors”
– “author guidelines”
• Look for clues that indicate the journal is refereed
such as:
– “double-blind review”
– “guidelines for reviewers”

12. From a Journal Publisher’s Website

13. Refereed = Peer-reviewed

14. Many publishers give information on the review process
as well as guidelines for authors

15. Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory identifies
peer-reviewed or refereed journals.

16. ULRICHSWEB identifies
peer-reviewed or refereed journals
Available from
the Library’s
Databases

17. Many databases allow you to select peer-reviewed journals

18. Still Have Questions?
• Consult your professor
• Talk to the reference librarians or email
libref@bsc.edu