Library Services for Distance Students

Peer-reviewed journals (also called "scholarly" or "academic" journals) contain original research articles within a specific subject domain.

These articles are reviewed by other experts before publication and share many or all of these qualities:

• List authors' names, email addresses, and affiliations (e.g. Univ. of Nebraska-Kearney)
• Use section headers (these may vary): Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion
• Include tables or figures of statistical data
• Cite references to other quality sources

NOTE: Some peer-reviewed journals will include literature reviews, book reviews, and opinion essays. None of these present original research however!

This table summarizes the differences between peer-reviewed journals and other periodicals, but please ask a librarian if you have further questions!