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Peer Review

Peer Review

Instructional Guide Student Evaluating Sources

What is peer review?

Peer review is the process publishers use to decide whether they will publish new research in a journal. Peer-reviewed journals are also called refereed.

How peer review works:

Flowchart of peer review: submission, anonymous expert review, recommendation, and publication in a scholarly journal.

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What peer review does:

  • Helps to ensure quality of research
  • Ensures researcher has used proper methods
  • Ensures research is within the scope of the scholarly journal
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What peer review does not do:

  • Tests for accuracy of stated research results
  • Ensures an error-free article — peer review is a human process

Peer review across the disciplines:

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Arts

In the arts, research typically refers to creating original art or analytical work. Typical supportive evidence comes from original source materials, books, and peer-reviewed journals.

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Humanities

In the humanities, research typically refers to analytical and theoretical work. Typical supportive evidence comes from primary sources, books, and peer-reviewed journals.

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Social Sciences

In the social sciences, research typically refers to gathering and analyzing evidence. Typical supportive evidence comes from evidence-based data and peer-reviewed journals.

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Natural and Applied Sciences

In the natural and applied sciences, research typically refers to gathering and analyzing evidence. Typical supportive evidence comes from evidence-based data and peer-reviewed journals.

Important note! One field's research is not more important than another. Peer review is only one part of the process of publishing scholarly work and may not be a deciding factor for including a journal article to support your own research question.

Finding peer-reviewed articles with Mason Search:

  1. Go to library.gmu.edu.
  2. Enter search terms in the search box.
  3. Select the “Peer-reviewed Journals” filter on the left side of the screen.
  4. Select the green “Apply Filters” button.

Screenshot of Mason Libraries search results page with an arrow pointing to the "Peer-reviewed Journals" filter checkbox on the left side of the screen

Finding peer-reviewed articles in databases:

Most of our databases include a “peer-reviewed” filter that limits search results to scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles. Two exceptions to this are the Medline and Web of Science databases. These databases only provide peer-reviewed journals.

EBSCOhost

Screenshot of the EBSCOhost database interface with a red arrow pointing to the "Peer Reviewed" checkbox in the search filters

ABI/Inform Collection

Screenshot of the ABI/Inform Collection database interface with a red arrow pointing to the "Peer Reviewed" filter checkbox

Interactive Tutorial

This tutorial is hosted through LibWizard. To access the full screen view of this tutorial go to https://gmu.libwizard.com/f/Peer_Review.

Creative Commons Attribution License

Peer Review by The Teaching & Learning Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.