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MUS: 117 Intro to Music Education: Databases

A-Z Library Databases

What Does Peer Reviewed Mean?

What Does Peer Reviewed Mean?

An article is considered "peer-reviewed" if it has been reviewed by scholars and professionals within the field of study for the article. This process involves reviewing how the article was written and the research involved. The review process involves an extensive exchange between the review panel and the author(s), and the article can only be considered for publication in a scholarly journal once it has been approved. 

Ask yourself the following questions about the article you are viewing to determine if it is peer-reviewed: 

  • Does the article contain an abstract?
  • Does the article contain a full bibliography?
  • Are the author(s') credentials easily identified?
  • Does the journal contain little to no advertising?
  • Is the language of the article intended for an informed 
    audience?
  • Is the article lengthy?
  • Does the journal description include the words "peer-reviewed" or "editorial process"?

Finding Peer-Reviewed Articles

Many of our databases make the process of locating peer-reviewed information very easy for us by providing a "peer-reviewed" search filter on the search screen. This search filter is automatically selected in our EBSCO databases.

 

What Databases Should I Use?

MUSIC EDUCATION DATABASES

MUSIC SCORES & COMPOSER INFO

MUSIC STREAMING DATABASES

Evaluating Web Content

Google Scholar is a great starting place for initial research.  Unlike a regular Google search, Google Scholar attempts to connect you with more "academic" content then information typically found on the web.  

As with any web searching important evaluation work will still need to be done on each of the resources you are looking at.  Use the following criteria to evaluation the information from Google Scholar or other web searches.

  • AUTHORSHIP
    ​    Websites can be produced by individuals or organizations. 
    Reputable websites will have authorship information easily visible, 
    including both the authors' names and credentials. 
  • ACCURACY
    ​    To use information in your research it must be judged accurate and 
    verifiable before use. 
  • CURRENCY
    ​    Look for the publication date of the website, frequent updates, and 
    dates for specific articles.
  • CONTENT
    ​    Does the information provided by the website meet your research need?
  • PURPOSE
    ​    A website's purpose is the reason it was created. This should be very clear. 
    Note that some websites might present opinions as facts but they are 
    actually attempting to sell a product or persuade you. 
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