What are peer-reviewed sources?
Peer review is a process most scholarly publications go through in which "peers" of the author(s) (experts working in the same scholarly field) examine the work and gauge its accuracy and relevance to the field (peer review may also be called "refereed"). They check the research methods, data analysis, and cited references to confirm the authors conclusions and recommendations are valid and consider the work's overall contribution to the scholarly literature. If these experts approve the article, it can move on to formal publication. Peer-review as a process helps combat plagiarism, ensure that journals and academic presses are publishing the most up-to-date and relevant information, and serves as quality control for research.
The peer review process explained
Most often the peer review process begins when a researcher writes an article (formally called a “manuscript”) and submits it to a journal. The editor assesses the article to determine if it fits within the journal’s scope. If the article fits within the scope, the article is reviewed by peers within the field. Peer reviewers are experts in a disciple or subject area who often volunteer to review articles for quality, methodology, potential bias, and ethics. Peer reviewers make a recommendation about whether the article should be published and if it needs revisions. The editor assesses the reviews and determines whether the article should be published or rejected. If revisions are necessary, the author may edit their article and resubmit it for another round of peer review. An article may go through several rounds before it is accepted for publication. Once the article is accepted, it goes through production where it is copyedited and formatted. After this stage is complete, the article in published and made available to read.
