PHE 327U - Community Nutrition: Evaluating Sources

The Peer Review Process Video

3 minute video on the peer review process, created by the North Carolina State University Libraries: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/pr/

Is it Peer Reviewed?: The Video

This video shows you different ways to check whether an article is peer-reviewed.

Scholarly, Professional, Popular?

When you have a research assignment , note what types of articles are required evidence for your thesis or question. Some professors require you to use only scholarly peer-reviewed journals while others might allow professional or trade journals and newspapers.

Scholarly article - Peer-reviewed or scholarly articles are written by an expert or scholar in the field and reviewed by peers who are experts in the same subject.

Professional/trade article - Trade or professional journals have articles written by experts in the field or by staff writers. The articles are reviewed by the editor. The articlesusually do not include reference lists.

Popular journals - Popular journals or magazines are written for a general audience rather than for professionals or scholars. Examples include the New Yorker, National Geographic, and the Rolling Stone.

Peer-Reviewed, Popular…or in Between?

Questions to Ask when Evaluating Articles

	Scholarly, Peer-reviewed, Professional Journals	Popular Magazines
Examples	Harvard Business Review; American Journal of Sociology; Modern Language Notes	Men's Health Journal; Newsweek; Sports Illustrated; People; National Geographic; Wired
What is “the look”?	Somber, serious with graphs and tables. Few, if any, pictures.	Attractive, slick with lots of pictures and advertisements.
Who is the audience?	Other professionals in the field or discipline. Language is scholarly and subject specific.	General audience. Language relative to the topic. Articles can be short and lacking depth.
What is the purpose?	To report original research or experimentation or persuade based on research.	To entertain, to sell, or to promote a viewpoint.
Who wrote the article?	A scholar or researcher often with an institutional or academic affiliation.	Freelance writers, magazine staff or a well-known person not necessarily an expert in the field.
How carefully is it documented?	Always has references, footnotes and/or a bibliography. Follows a style like APA or MLA.	Rarely cites sources or makes broad references to sources.