BIO 299: How to Read a Scientific Paper: Peer Review

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email: library@dwu.edu
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What is Peer-Review?

Peer-review is the process where an author's research has been subjected to a quality control review by experts in the relevant field of research. These articles have undergone a rigorous review process, by peers in their discipline, before publication in a scholarly journal.

Why do we use peer-reviewed articles?

Peer-review ensures that what is published has been vetted by other experts, and by using a peer-reviewed article, you give your argument more weight, since these articles have been vetted.

How do I find and verify peer-reviewed articles?

The easiest way to find peer reviewed articles is to use a library database and use the "Limit to Peer Reviewed" check box. Once you find an articles, verify that it is from a peer-reviewed source by doing a quick Google search for the journal title and looking at the journal's description in the database. 

Scholarly articles 
Articles written by people with credentials in their fields and are published in journals that include editorial processes to ensure that the articles are valid. 

Peer-reviewed articles 
Scholarly articles that were published in journals that use the peer-review editorial process. The peer-review process involves sharing the article with other experts in the field who can assess the rigorousness of the research and value of the article to the field.