RN-BSN Library Guide

What are peer reviewed journals and articles?

Peer reviewed journals (also sometimes called refereed journals) include only articles that have gone through a process of feedback and iteration before publication. In short, this means that:

1. The article was written by an expert or scholar in the field or on the topic.
2. The article was reviewed by other experts or scholars in the field or on the topic who assess the article for accuracy and other indicators of scholarship before providing feedback to the author.
3. The author made any necessary edits or changes to the article based on the feedback provided before the article was published.

Check out NCSU Libraries video, "Peer Review in Three Minutes This link opens in a new window" for more information about the peer review process.

Keep in mind that articles from peer reviewed journals are considered scholarly, but not all scholarly articles are from peer reviewed journals (in other words, just because an article was not published in a peer reviewed journal, doesn't automatically mean it isn't considered a scholarly source).

Peer review status is a significant indicator of whether a source is scholarly, but in any case, sources should be evaluated to determine not just if it is scholarly, but whether the source is relevant and current enough to be used in your research.

If you need help determining whether a journal is peer reviewed, see the FAQ How can I determine if a journal is peer reviewed? or please contact the Reference Desk through chat or at ask@snhu.libanswers.com for help.

You may also want to consider:

Recommended Databases 

The Shapiro Library subscribes numerous databases filled with scholarly articles, book chapters, research reports, statistics, and more from thousands of respected publications. The following is a list of some of the best databases and journals for doing research on the subject of nursing:

Recommended Journals

Lippincott Nursing Center journals link, Disclaimer that not all articles will be freely available, please  check with the Shapiro library  if a desired article is requiring a purchase for full-text. 

A-Z Database List

You can see a complete list of all the databases the library subscribes to on our A-Z Database List. The A-Z Database List page includes an alphabetical list of all the databases the library subscribes to as well as databases grouped together by subject (e.g. "Business") or type (e.g. "Course Guides").

Interlibrary Loan

If you identify articles within certain journals that are not owned by SNHU's Shapiro Library, you can request that we borrow them from another library using our Interlibrary Loan This link opens in a new window service. This is a free service to members of the SNHU community, including students, faculty, and staff.

Through Interlibrary Loan, we can borrow items such as journal articles, books, newspaper articles, and other circulating materials.

Presently we can borrow most articles via electronic requests and email delivery.  We typically can turn around journal article requests in 3 to 5 business days, although it may sometimes take longer.  Start your research early in order to give yourself enough time to use Interlibrary Loan, if necessary. 

Click on the "Interlibrary Loan" tabbed page on this guide for more details.