What is a peer-reviewed article?

Peer-reviewed (or scholarly) articles go through an extensive review process before publication. How does the process work?

First, after conducting research, (often but not always original research) an expert in a field writes an article and submits it to a journal for publication. The article is then sent to other experts in the field who review it for quality indicators such as appropriate scientific methodologies, consideration of previous scholarship, logical conclusions, etc. To avoid bias, reviewers usually do not know the name of the article’s author. Once the review process is complete, the article is returned to the journal editors (with feedback and recommendations for any changes) and either rejected or approved for publication in the journal (pending any required changes the editors require--based on the peer reviewed feedback). 

Many peer-reviewed articles are recognizable because they have the following features: 

  • Length- long (10-30 pages)
  • Article formatting – may vary by discipline, but usually includes an abstract, literature review, methodology, results section and conclusion
  • References – long list of consulted works, indicating the author did an extensive study on the subject
  • Author credentials – generally affiliated with a university or college system
  • Writing style – professional and scholarly 
  • Cost – peer-reviewed journals may have a high subscription fee and charge for access to individual articles
  • Accessible through databases – libraries (including MCC) subscribe to databases to provide their students free access to peer-reviewed articles and other scholarly source. Databases frequently contain search options (limiters) which can be used to narrow results to only peer-reviewed articles.

Note – not every article published in a peer-reviewed journal has gone through the peer-review process. Book reviews, editorials, letters to the editor and similar articles should not be confused with peer-reviewed articles, and may not be appropriate for your paper.  


Answer

  • Last Updated May 15, 2020
  • Views 50
  • Answered By Pamela Galovich

FAQ Actions

Was this helpful? 0 0

Contact Us

Ask us a question via email, text or submit a question using the form below and we’ll get back to you with an answer or a referral. 

Virtual one-on-one consultations can also be made with a subject or technical specialist by contacting askalibrarian@mohave.edu for an appointment.

Your Question
Your Info
Fields marked with * are required.