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CJ 4310: Special Problems in the Criminal Justice System: 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 scholarly/peer-reviewed, check Ulrich's by looking up the title of the journal.

What is a peer-reviewed journal?

A scholarly journal is peer-reviewed when manuscripts 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.