LibGuides: CJ 4365: Comparative Criminal Justice: Is it Peer-Reviewed?

Is it Refereed/Peer-Reviewed?

To find out if a journal is considered Refereed/Peer-Reviewed, check the Ulrich's database by doing a search for the title of the journal. In case Ulrich's does not list a journal, another database that can also help with this is Serials Directory.

Many, but not all, of the research databases accessible from the Library allow searches to be limited to articles published in Scholary/Academic as well as Peer-Reviewed journals. If a database only has a "Scholarly" or Academic limiter/filter, keep in mind that refereed/peer-reviewed journals are a subset of scholarly journals, in other words not all scholarly journals are refereed/peer-reviewed.

To view a tutorial on what makes a journal scholarly, please see this tutorial from Rutgers University.

Characteristics of scholarly journals

Check this chart for information about scholarly journal characteristics.

Authors	Articles are written by authorities in the field
Sources	Authors cite their sources in endnotes, footnotes, or bibliographies
Audience	Aimed at scholarly readers (researchers, professors, or students)
Publisher	Often published by academic or association presses
Advertisements	Contains few to no advertisements
Peer-review?	Most articles are reviewed by an author’s peers before publication to ensure high quality
Article scope	Journals usually have a narrow subject focus, and articles often include original research, reviews, or essays
Graphics	Illustrations often consist of charts or graphs
Language	Articles use jargon of the discipline
Examples	American Journal of Botany, The Academy of Management Journal, Social Research

Characteristics of trade publications

Check the below chart for information about trade publications.

Authors	Articles usually written by specialists in an industry
Sources	Sources are mentioned, but rarely formally cited
Audience	Aimed at people in a particular profession, trade, or industry
Publisher	Usually published by professional or trade associations
Advertisements	Contains a few advertisements, usually targeting the particular industry
Peer-review?	Generally, no peer-review process
Article scope	Articles tend to be practical information, helpful to people in the industry
Graphics	Some illustrations; often consisting of charts or graphs
Language	Articles use jargon of the industry
Examples	Adweek, Social Studies and the Young Learner, Software Development

Characteristics of popular magazines

Check this chart for characteristics of popular magazines.

Authors	Articles are usually written by professional writers or journalists
Sources	There are rarely bibliographies
Audience	Aimed at general population
Publisher	Published by commercial (for profit) presses
Advertisements	Contain numerous advertisements
Peer-review?	Rare
Article scope	Used to inform, update, or introduce a topic to a general reader
Graphics	Numerous colorful illustrations and/or photographs are usually present
Language	Language is geared to general population; no special knowledge is required
Examples	Runner's World, Ebony, Time

What is Scholarly | Peer-Reviewed?

Most libraries subscribe to various types of periodicals, such as scholarly (some of which may be peer-reviewed, blind peer-reviewed, editorial review) popular, or trade publications. Choosing which to use depends on your topic, the type of writing you are doing, your assignment, and the sources your professor wants you to use. Many databases offer the option to limit to "Scholarly Journals" or "Peer Reviewed". If you're not sure if a journal is considered scholary/peer-reviewed, check Ulrich's by looking up the title of the journal.

Characteristics of a scholarly journal:

Usually reports on research or reviews the literature
Language is often technical and specific to the subject
Articles will contain a list of references cited in the paper.
Authors are usually researchers or experts in their field
Has little or no advertising
May have charts and graphs
Scholarly journals may or may not be peer-reviewed (see below)

What is a peer-reviewed journal?

A scholarly journal is peer-reviewed when mauscripts are sent to experts, sometimes anonymously (blind peer-reviewed), in the related field. They make recommendations to editor for publication, rejection or revision. These journals are generally thought to be of the highest quality.