Peer Review
The process by which academic work is evaluated by experts in the same field before publication. Peer-reviewed sources are generally considered more credible.
Why it matters
Peer review is the gold standard for academic credibility. When you cite peer-reviewed sources, you demonstrate that your arguments are supported by research that has been scrutinized and validated by independent experts. Most professors and journals require a significant proportion of cited sources to be peer-reviewed.
How to use
To determine if a source is peer-reviewed, check the journal's website for phrases like "peer-reviewed" or "refereed." Database filters in Google Scholar, JSTOR, and PubMed can help you limit results to peer-reviewed publications. When evaluating sources for your research, prioritize peer-reviewed articles over popular press, blogs, or non-reviewed publications.
In academic writing
Students are expected to distinguish between peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed sources as early as first-year composition courses. In graduate-level research, virtually all cited journal articles should be peer-reviewed unless there is a specific reason to cite grey literature or popular sources. Understanding peer review also helps students critically evaluate the reliability of their sources.
Common mistakes
- •Assuming all articles in an academic journal are peer-reviewed — editorials, book reviews, and commentaries within peer-reviewed journals are often not peer-reviewed themselves.
- •Confusing peer-reviewed articles with other credible sources like government reports or professional publications, which may be reliable but are not peer-reviewed.
- •Not verifying whether a journal is truly peer-reviewed, which is especially important with the rise of predatory journals.
Related Terms
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