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Popular v. Scholarly (UC Santa Cruz Library)

(from UC Santa Cruz, University Library, "Distinguish between Popular and Scholarly Journals")

Features of a Peer-Reviewed Article (Loyd Sealy Library)

When you are determining whether or not the article you found is a peer-reviewed article, you should consider the following.

Does the article have the following features?

Image of the first page of a peer-reviewed article. These items are highlighted: Been published in a scholarly journal. An overall serious, thoughtful tone. More than 10 pages in length (usually, but not always). 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.

 

Also consider...

  • Is the journal in which you found the article published or sponsored by a professional scholarly society, professional association, or university academic department? Does it describe itself as a peer-reviewed publication? (To know that, check the journal's website). 
  • Did you find a citation for it in one of the  databases that includes scholarly publications? (Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, etc.)?  Read the database description to see if it includes scholarly publications.
  • In the database, did you limit your search to scholarly or peer-reviewed publications? (See video tutorial below for a demonstration.)
  • Is the topic of the article narrowly focused and explored in depth?
  • Is the article based on either original research or authorities in the field (as opposed to personal opinion)?
  • Is the article written for readers with some prior knowledge of the subject?
  • If your field is social or natural science, is the article divided into sections with headings such as those listed below?
  • Introduction
  • Theory or Background
  • Methods
  • Discussion
  • Literature review
  • Subjects
  • Results
  • Conclusion

 

(from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Loyd Sealy Library, "Evaluating Information Sources: What Is A Peer-Reviewed Article?")

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