A peer-reviewed article is a scholarly article that is reviewed and approved by experts before it is accepted for publication. The expert reviewers are typically called an "editorial board" or "review board", and their names and credentials are listed within each issue of a peer-reviewed journal.
There are peer-reviewed journals covering virtually every field of study. Each peer-reviewed journal has it's own editorial board of experts. Peer-reviewed journals are characterized by being explicit and transparent in their scholarly mission, free of advertisers, and unbiased.
The value of peer-reviewed journal articles is that they have met the highest standards of scholarship within their field.
Examples of peer-reviewed journal titles:
- Journal of Environmental Systems
- Feminist Review
- Nordic Irish Studies
There tends to be an identifiable naming convention for peer-reviewed journals; many peer-reviewed journals utilize in their titles the words: 'Journal', 'Review', 'Studies', 'Quarterly', 'Annals', 'Research'. However, this is not a strict rule, and there are peer-reviewed journals that do not follow the naming convention.
Peer-reviewed journals appear in multiple formats, including: print only, online only, print and online, and open access.
For additional information about peer-reviewed, please view this What's Peer Review? libguide. If you need any research assistance, feel free to contact us at Ask A Librarian.
