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Criminal Justice Research Guide

A good starting point for finding resources in criminal justice

Where do I find the Peer Reviewed Journals?

This is probably the most frequent question we get about library research.

Click the PEER REVIEW box on the Library home page to filter your search in only peer review journals. 

What is Peer Reviewed?

Peer Reviewed? Refereed?

Peer Review.  The process of obtaining impartial opinions from the research and academic community in order to ascertain whether papers submitted for publication in journals are of a sustainable standard. 

Referee.  An independent expert who assists the editor of a journal in evaluating the acceptability of contributions submitted for publication.

Peer Review- Video

Journals Vs. Magazines

Criteria for Evaluation

  Scholarly Journals

Popular Magazines
  • Written by scholars for a scholarly audience. 
  • Written by journalists for a general audience. 
  • Includes bibliographies and citations. 
  • Usually do not include bibliographies or citations. 
  • Content may be peer reviewed (reviewed by a panel of experts for accuracy and quality). 
  • Content is reviewed by en editor. 
  • Standardized formats are usually followed (APA, MLA, etc.)
  • Various formats which are often unstructured
  • Any illustrations support the text (maps, tables, photos)
  • Often illustrated for market appeal
  • Includes jargon and subject-specific terms. 
  • Written in accessible language.