What is Peer Review?
Peer Reviewed articles are research findings that are communicated to professional communities through publication in a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal.
Examples include:
| Professional Communities | Professional Journals |
| Medicine (Nursing) | Clinical Nursing Research |
| Neurology (Neurodiagnostic Technologists) | Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology |
| Psychology (Psychologists) | Journal of Behavioral Education |
| Radiation Oncology (Radiation Therapists) | International Journal of Radiation Oncology (Red Journal) |
Research published in a scholarly journal is held to a high standard 
It must make a credible and significant contribution to the discipline. To ensure a very high level of quality, articles that are submitted to scholarly journals undergo a process called peer-review.
Once an article has been submitted for publication, it is reviewed by other independent, academic experts (at least two) in the same field as the authors. These are the peers. The peers evaluate the research and decide if it is good enough and important enough to publish. Usually there is a back-and-forth exchange between the reviewers and the authors, including requests for revisions, before an article is published.
Peer review is a rigorous process but the intensity varies by journal. Some journals are very prestigious and receive many submissions for publication. They publish only the very best, most highly regarded research.
Includes authors’ names, credentials, addresses or affiliations.
Written in a formal tone for experts and college students. Look for technical & discipline-specific terminology.
Reports research findings in great detail and includes support from other researchers. These articles can be lengthy (more than 1-2 pages).
Authors cite their sources throughout the paper, and include a list of references.
Uses tables or graphs of data to illustrate findings.