SOP3742 / Psychology of Women

What is a Peer-Reviewed Article?

A peer-reviewed (sometimes called refereed or scholarly) article is:

• Read, evaluated, and approved for publication by experts in the field. 
• Considered accurate, reliable, and credible.
• Reviewed by scholars through an anonymous process; the reviewers don't know who wrote the article, and the authors don't know who reviewed their work.
• A decision-making process that removes personal bias and favoritism on whether something is published or not.

How do I know if the article I found is peer-reviewed?

• Many of the library databases have an option to limit searches to peer-reviewed or scholarly publications. Look for a box on the search screen or results page. 
• In general, book reviews, opinion pieces/editorials, and brief news articles are not peer-reviewed. 
• Use Ulrich'sweb.