A peer-reviewed journal is a type of academic journal that publishes articles that have been reviewed and evaluated by experts in the same field as the author before being accepted for publication. The peer-review process is designed to ensure that the articles published in the journal are of high quality and meet the standards of the field. Peer-reviewed articles are usually research articles or literature reviews and have certain characteristics in common.
To determine if a journal is peer-reviewed, you can look for the following features:
- Masthead: includes information on the submission process, the editorial board, and maybe even a phrase stating that the journal is peer-reviewed.
- Information for authors: the journal website may include information for authors about the publication process, including whether the articles are peer-reviewed.
- Instructions for authors: the journal website may include guidelines for authors that mention the peer-review process.
- Editorial statement: the journal may have an editorial statement that mentions the peer-review process.
- Ulrichsweb: a directory of periodicals worldwide that includes basic information about each publication, including whether it is peer-reviewed/refereed.
If you are unsure whether or not an article is peer-reviewed, you must look at the journal rather than the article.
