Peer review

Peer review is a process used by many academic journals to assess research before publication. It can improve the quality of published research, but it does not guarantee that an article is accurate, reliable or suitable for your assignment.

This guide explains how peer review works, how to check whether an article has been peer-reviewed, and what peer review can and cannot tell you about the research you read.

What is peer review?

Peer review involves researchers with relevant expertise examining an article before it is published in an academic journal.

When an author submits an article, a journal editor first considers whether it is suitable for the journal. If it is sent for peer review, the editor invites experts in the subject to assess the work.

Reviewers consider the research methods, evidence, analysis and conclusions. They may identify weaknesses, suggest improvements or question whether the conclusions are supported by the evidence.

The editor considers the reviewers' feedback and decides whether to accept the article, request revisions or reject it. Authors may need to revise their work and undergo further review before a final decision is made.

Not all peer review works in the same way. Some journals keep reviewers' identities anonymous, some conceal both authors' and reviewers' identities, and others use more open approaches, including publishing review reports. The process varies between journals and disciplines.

How can I tell if an article has been peer-reviewed?

If you need peer-reviewed articles for an assignment, there are several ways to check.

1. Start with LibrarySearch. Use the 'Peer-reviewed Journals' filter to narrow your results. This is a useful starting point, but it does not guarantee that every individual item has undergone formal peer review. See Find a journal article for guidance on searching LibrarySearch.
2. Check the journal's website. Look for information about its peer-review process, usually under headings such as 'About the journal', 'Aims and scope' or 'Editorial policies'. Check whether the policy applies to the type of article you are reading.
3. Check the article type. Research articles and review articles often undergo formal peer review, but editorials, letters, commentaries and other material may follow different editorial processes. Being published in a peer-reviewed journal does not necessarily mean that every item in it has been peer-reviewed.
4. Look for publication information. Some publishers provide details of the review process, including review reports or dates showing when an article was submitted, revised and accepted. These details may help, although dates alone do not prove that formal peer review took place.

If you cannot establish whether an article has been peer-reviewed, the Library can help you investigate.

What does peer review tell you about an article?

Peer review is an important form of quality control in academic publishing. Expert reviewers can identify weaknesses, question unsupported conclusions and recommend improvements before research is published.

However, peer review is not a guarantee that research findings are correct.

There are several reasons for this:

• Human error and bias: Reviewers can overlook problems or be influenced by their own assumptions, perspectives or conflicts of interest.
• Differences in review standards: The depth and quality of peer review vary between journals, reviewers and disciplines.
• Limits of the process: Reviewers do not normally repeat the research or independently check every piece of underlying data. Some errors may therefore go unnoticed.
• Changing knowledge: Research findings can be challenged, refined or superseded as further evidence becomes available.

A single peer-reviewed study should not automatically be treated as a definitive answer. Its findings need to be considered alongside other relevant research and evidence.

Peer-reviewed status also does not tell you whether an article is relevant to your assignment or whether its methods and conclusions are convincing.

When deciding whether to use an article, consider:

• Whether it addresses your research question or assessment task
• Whether its methods and evidence are appropriate
• Whether the conclusions are supported by the findings
• Whether the authors acknowledge important limitations
• How its findings compare with other relevant research

Not every useful or authoritative source is peer-reviewed. The types of evidence you should use depend on your subject and the purpose of your work.

For more detailed guidance on examining an article's evidence, methodology and conclusions, see Critically evaluating journal articles.

Check for corrections and retractions

Peer review does not end the scrutiny of published research. Problems may be identified after an article has been published, sometimes long afterwards.

Publishers may issue:

• A correction: To address an error in a published article.
• An expression of concern: To alert readers to potentially serious problems that have not yet been resolved.
• A retraction: To indicate that an article has serious problems and should no longer be relied upon as originally published.

Retractions can happen because of significant mistakes, unreliable findings, research misconduct or other serious problems. A retraction does not necessarily mean that the authors deliberately did something wrong.

Before relying on an article, particularly for an important finding:

1. Check the article's page on the publisher's website for corrections, retractions or other notices.
2. Pay attention to any publication-status warnings shown in LibrarySearch or other databases.
3. If a notice exists, read it to understand what has changed and whether the article remains suitable for your purpose.

You can also search the Retraction Watch Database for information about retracted research. However, no single database or warning system provides a complete guarantee that an article has no problems.

If an article has been retracted, do not use its original findings as reliable evidence without addressing the retraction. You may still need to cite it if you are discussing the retraction itself or examining a research controversy, but its status should be made clear.

Need more help?

If you are unsure whether an article has been peer-reviewed, or need help understanding its publication status, email the Library at library@abertay.ac.uk. Include the article title or link and explain what you are trying to check.

If you are unsure what types of evidence your assessment requires, check your assessment brief or ask your tutor.