What is a Refereed (peer-reviewed) Article?
A peer-reviewed article is one that has been reviewed by a body of “peers:” experts in the same field as the writer.
They are sometimes called “refereed” and are published in scholarly or academic journals.
There are examples of refereed articles on this page, as well as a list of specific journal titles that your professor provided. Start with one of those titles if you want to be sure you have a refereed journal.
How to tell if an article is refereed (peer-reviewed)
| Criteria | Peer-Reviewed / Scholarly | Popular / General |
|---|---|---|
| Length or Appearance of Source |
Lengthy, in depth. Often includes tables, graphs, statistics. Serious appearance, not heavily graphic. Generally includes abstract and citation list. Purpose of the articles is usually to present original research or experiments. |
Shorter, overview-type articles. Popular style.
Does not usually include abstract or citation list. Includes many advertisements aimed at a general audience. Purpose of the articles is more to entertain. |
| Author or Editor |
Scholars, experts. Credentials often included (PhD, MD, MPH, etc.) Peer reviewed, refereed or juried: critically evaluated by a knowledge panel of experts. |
Reporters, staff writers.
Credentials not usually included. Reviewed by the editorial staff, not subject experts. Articles are sometimes unsigned. |
| Title | Includes words like: review, journal, research, quarterly, studies, transactions, proceedings, archives. | Often includes the word magazine. |
| Language | Technical, likely to include the jargon of the field. Assumes some background knowledge from the reader. | Non-technical, accessible by broad audience |
| Article Structure | Traditional structure usually requires: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, references | No specific structure. |
| Audience | Professors, researchers, professionals, experts, students; people who are already interested in the topic. | General public, trying to attract an audience. |
| Examples |
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) The Political Quarterly |
National Geographic Time Magazine |
Links to specific journal titles (provided by Dr. Ramsay)
These titles were suggested by Dr. Jennifer Ramsay. If you'd like to get a good idea of what a scholarly article or journal looks like, try searching in one of these titles to see what the articles look like. Sometimes you may find your topic is covered in one journal more than another. Once you have tried this method, it is best to go back and search in the databases like JSTOR and ScienceDirect.
- American AntiquityJSTOR has the oldest issues.
Academic OneFile has the most recent issues. - AntiquityTo get the most recent 6 months, you will need to use interlibrary loan.
Otherwise, the longest coverage is in Academic OneFile. - American Journal of ArchaeologyJSTOR has the most full-text.
- Journal of Anthropological ArchaeologyFull-text through Science Direct only, but indexed in Academic Search Complete.
- Journal of Archaeological ScienceFull-text through Science Direct only, but indexed in Academic Search Complete.
- Journal of Field ArchaeologyFull-text only in JSTOR.
- Journal of Roman StudiesThis journal is available through JSTOR.
- Mediterranean Archaeology & ArchaeometryFull-text available from the journal's website.
- World ArchaeologyJSTOR has the oldest issues.
The most recent issues are covered in Academic Search Complete or through the Taylor and Francis database. - Near Eastern ArchaeologyOldest issues available through JSTOR.
Recent issues available through several other databases.
URL: https://library.brockport.edu/archaeology