Academic peer-review is a process through which scholarly work is reviewed by experts in a field before a decision is made to publish the work.
Names for peer-reviewed articles
- Peer-reviewed
- Scholarly
- Academic
- Refereed
Peer review process
Note: The process described below reflects the review process for peer-reviewed articles published in academic journals. Some academic books (e.g., many published by university presses) are also peer reviewed and follow a similar process.
- Draft of article is sent to the journal editors, who send the article to experts in the field (reviewers).
- Reviewers evaluate the accuracy, quality, and originality of the research documented in the article.
- Reviewers make one of the following recommendations: published in its current form; publish after required revisions; revise and resubmit; reject.
- Editor sends the author the final editorial decision.
- If appropriate, author revises the article based on feedback. Editor or reviewers review the article again.
- If appropriate, the article is published.
Common characteristics of peer-reviewed articles
- The author's credentials include an advanced degree and an affiliation with a university or research institution.
- The writing style uses technical terms because it is written for other scholars.
- The article contains an abstract, literature review, and reference list.
Video "Peer Review in Three Minutes
