Library DIY (beta)

Understanding what Peer Review means

The Peer Review Process

Scholarly researchers write their findings and conclusions to draw a new thesis that adds to the body of knowledge in their discipline. Scholars publish their research in peer reviewed journals. This is how the peer review process works:

  1. A researcher writes an article and submits it for publication in a scholarly journal.
  2. The journal's editor reads the article and decides if it fits the journal.
  3. The article is sent out to reviewers who are scholars in the same field as the author. These experts are called peers or referees.
  4. The reviewers evaluate the article based on its quality, testing methodology, potential bias, ethical issues, and any other factors that would affect the research.
  5. The reviewers make their recommendation to the editor of the journal to either approve, reject, or revise the article. An article may need to be revised several times before it is published. The editor at the journal makes the final publication decision.
  6. Subscribers to scholarly journals are usually university and college libraries, or scholars in the field.
  7. The peer-review process continues even after an article is published. A peer-reviewed article may be corrected or even retracted after it has been published.

Watch this video, Peer Review in 3 Minutes, by the North Carolina State University Libraries,  to learn about the peer review process.

Link to video about peer review process