ELISE | Informing your studies tutorial: Peer-reviewed literature

Study hacks are a series of workshops for new and returning students throughout term. These sessions will help you develop key skills you need to succeed at UNSW.

To identify if a journal is peer-reviewed search for the title in Ulrichsweb global serials directory. The term Refereed in the entry for the journal indicates that the journal is peer-reviewed.

Journal articles that are peer-reviewed have been assessed by the author’s peers, an editorial board of subject specialists in a particular discipline. They review, and accept or reject articles that have been submitted for publication based on the validity and scholarship of the article.

This scrutiny by the author's peers ensures that high standards of research and scholarship are maintained. The peer-review process also helps build a reliable body of knowledge.

Peer-reviewed articles:

• present more highly regarded and authoritative information
• include bibliographies that provide you with further reading of a similar quality and standard
• focus on original academic research
• are also called refereed articles

Some databases allow you to limit a search to peer-reviewed articles only.

Library collection allows you to refine your results to Peer-reviewed journals under Refine my results > Availability on the left-hand side. Each record for a peer-reviewed journal article includes a peer-reviewed icon.

Journals usually indicate that they are peer-reviewed in the information found either at the front or back of each journal issue, or on the journal website. They may list the names of the reviewers or outline the review process in the instructions for authors.

Ulrichsweb is a directory which can identify whether or not a journal is peer-reviewed. Access it via the Databases link on the Library home page or the Library collection