FAQ: What is a peer reviewed journal?

Peer reviewed journals (also sometimes called refereed journals) include only articles that have gone through a process of feedback and iteration before publication. In short, this means that:

1. The article was written by an expert or scholar in the field or on the topic.
2. The article was reviewed by other experts or scholars in the field or on the topic who assess the article for accuracy and other indicators of scholarship before providing feedback to the author.
3. The author made any necessary edits or changes to the article based on the feedback provided before the article was published.

Check out NCSU Libraries video, "Peer Review in Three Minutes" for more information about the peer review process.

Keep in mind that articles from peer reviewed journals are considered scholarly, but not all scholarly articles are from peer reviewed journals (in other words, just because an article was not published in a peer reviewed journal, doesn't automatically mean it isn't considered a scholarly source).

Peer review status is a significant indicator of whether a source is scholarly, but in any case, sources should be evaluated to determine not just if it is scholarly, but whether the source is relevant and current enough to be used in your research.

If you need help determining whether a journal is peer reviewed, see the FAQ How can I determine if a journal is peer reviewed? or please contact the Reference Desk through chat, at ask@snhu.libanswers.com for help.