EDUC 830: Field Techniques: Evaluating Resources
What is a scholarly article?
All peer-reviewed articles are scholarly articles, but not all scholarly articles are peer-reviewed!
Scholarly articles are written by experts and by for experts in the field. These are also called academic articles and they focus on research studies, methodology, and theory.
Scholarly articles are published in scholarly/academic journals. These journals are usually published by professional associations or academic presses. Most journals focus on a specific subject. This means they only publish scholarly articles focusing on that subject.
Most scholarly journals are also peer-reviewed, but not all. Additionally, some peer-reviewed journals publish both peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed scholarly articles. Examples of non-peer-reviewed scholarly articles can include editorials, book reviews, and opinion pieces.
What is peer review?
Articles from peer-reviewed journals (also called refereed journals) are often referred to as "scholarly articles" or "academic articles."
When an article is peer-reviewed, that means the article was written by an expert in the field and reviewed by other experts before being published.
How do you know if a journal is peer-reviewed?
Just because a scholarly journal is indexed in a database doesn't guarantee that it is peer-reviewed. Here are a couple ways to check.
1. Search for the journal title on our E-Journals page. If it is a peer-reviewed journal, you will see a graduation cap icon next to the words "Peer Reviewed."
2. Search for the journal title in Ulrichs Web Online. This website is a directory of journals. There may be multiple listings for the same journal (one for a print version of the journal, one for a digital version). If the journal is peer-reviewed, it will have a little black referee jersey icon next to its name.
3. Look on the journal's website for information about submission guidelines for authors. The peer-review process should be explained thoroughly. The journal should also have information about its editorial boards or reviewers on its website.
UNC Learning Center Handouts
Reading in the Social Sciences
Templates from the Learning Center
Download or print these templates to use while you read and work on assignments.
Research Methods
- Sage Research MethodsLibrary of research methods tools. Learn about quantitative and qualitative methods in the Little Green Book and Little Blue Book series, practice data analysis, and use the Project Planner tool to organize research projects. Also included are social research case studies, videos, datasets for teaching and instruction, and analytical tools.