SOC 120 (Jacob-Almeida)

Scholarly Publications
A publication is regarded as scholarly if it is authored by experts, for experts. The publication is academic in focus as it reports original research (experimentation), research methodology, or theory. Generally, scholarly journals are targeted for professional or academic researchers and provide detailed analysis concentrating on a single discipline or academic field. The academic journal will likely be peer-reviewed or refereed by external reviewers. The publisher is typically a professional association or an academic press.

Peer-reviewed (Refereed) Scholar Sources
Prior to publication, some scholarly articles are submitted and go through a rigorous assessment that involves review and approval by the author’s peers (experts in the same subject area). Peer-reviewed journals publish articles only if they have passed through the official editorial process. The peer-review and evaluation system is utilized to safeguard, maintain, and improve the quality of scholarly materials published in serials.

While not all scholarly journals go through the peer-review process, it is usually safe to assume that a peer-reviewed journal is also scholarly. Remember, just because a journal is peer-reviewed does not guarantee that all articles in it are included in the peer-review process. Some article types, such as news items, editorials and book and article reviews, may not be peer-reviewed.

The best way to determine if a particular journal is peer-reviewed:

• Refer to the chart below outlining the differences between types of journals.
• Examine the journal in print or the online version. In the print version, look for submission instructions and determine if the submission process includes reviewers or referees. This information can usually be found on the inside front or back cover. In the online version check on the publisher’s website.