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Exercise Science -- Online Edition

How can I Tell if a Journal is Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed?

Academic journal (or scholarly journal). Audience, who is it written for? Scholars, researchers, & students. Author, who writes the articles? Scholar with a subject expertise; credentials are usually listed. Citations, can I double check their facts and/or statistics? Citations are required so that facts can be verified. Level, do they use specialized language? Do I need a prior understanding of the topic? Specialized language is used; prior knowledge is generally needed. Example: Sports Medicine. Magazine (or popular journal). Audience. General public. Author. Journalist, nonprofessional, or layperson; may be unknown. Citations. May or may not include citations. Level. Written for the general public; no specialized terminology. Example: Fitness. Trade Publication. Audience. Those working in specific trade occupations. Author. People in the field or industry; may be unknown. Citations. May or may not include citations. Level. Industry specific terminology. Example: Modern Healthcare.


Is my Academic/Scholarly journal article peer-reviewed?

To be considered peer-reviewed, a scholarly article must go through an additional step when submitted for publication. Each article is sent out to (usually two) other researchers in the field for blind review at which time the article can be accepted as is, accepted pending changes, or rejected.