What is a Peer-reviewed Scientific Journal Article?

Your ability to read, interpret and critically analyze a scientific journal article allows you to understand the implications of scientific research and how that research applies to your area of interest in Biol. 3920.  Your ability to analyze a scientific journal article should allow you to separate science from non-science and beliefs, and enables you to understand the long-term, practical implications of the research.  To demonstrate your ability you are to read, interpret and critically analyze a peer-reviewed scientific journal article as one of the assignments in Biol. 3920.   

A peer-reviewed scientific journal is a compellation of scientific research manuscripts or articles, each being critiqued by at least three (3) outside reviewers who are knowledgeable in the discipline.   The editor of the journal ensures that each articles is thoroughly reviewed by three knowledgeable and qualified  scientist [research peers working in similar areas of investigation] prior to publishing. Outside peer-reviews are completed in order to verify that author(s) follow accepted scientific protocols and standards.   This does not mean that the article must arrive at a pre-set conclusion, but it does mean that the procedures followed conform to the scientific method by addressing appropriate experimental controls, hypotheses tests, quality controlled experimentation, data quality evaluations and processing, and sound scientific practices.

The article you select to critique must be taken from a peer-reviewed scientific journal and may be any length. Be aware however that a short article may not translate into an easy assignment, so base your selection on a topic specific to your research project rather than article length.  A list of some peer-reviewed scientific journals are included below.  Journals are available to you online and may be accessed via the library’s homepage or our homepage.

Some Peer-reviewed Scientific Journals    

BioOne (List of Online Scientific Journals) 

Google Search Engine

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Health Physics (Radiation Health)

Tennessee Academy of Science

Freshwater Ecology

Hydrobiologia (Volumes available)

Cambridge University Press

Animal Conservation

Annals of Human Genetics

Antarctic Science

Biological Reviews

Bird Conservation International

Bulletin of the Nat. Hist. Mus. Entomology Series

Bulletin of the Nat. Hist. Mus. Zoology Series

Environmental Conservation

Field Mycology

Journal of Anatomy

Journal of Biological Sciences

Journal of Tropical Ecology

Journal of Zoology

Parisitology

Systematics and Biodiversity

Oxford University Press

Annals of Botany

Behavioral Ecology

The Journal of Biochemistry

Journal of Experimental Botany

Journal of Heredity

Journal of Molluscan Studies

Journal of Electron Microscopy

Journal of Plankton Research

Molecular Biology and Evolution

Plant and Cell Physiology

BioOne

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment  

The American Biology Teacher  

American Fern Journal  

The American Midland Naturalist  

American Zoologist  

Annals of the Entomological Society of America  

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research  

Avian Diseases  

Biology of Reproduction  

BIOS  

BioScience  

BIOTROPICA  

The Botanical Review  

Brittonia  

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History  

Cell Stress & Chaperones  

Comparative Parasitology  

The Condor  

Copeia  

Economic Botany  

Environmental Entomology  

Evolution  

Florida Entomologist  

Herpetologica  

Herpetological Monographs  

In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal  

In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plant  

Integrative and Comparative Biology  

Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery  

Journal of Coastal Conservation  

Journal of Crustacean Biology  

Journal of Economic Entomology  

The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology  

Journal of Field Ornithology  

Journal of Herpetology  

Journal of Insect Science  

Journal of Mammalogy  

Journal of Medical Entomology  

Journal of Paleontology  

Journal of Parasitology  

Journal of the New York Entomological Society  

Journal of the North American Benthological Society  

Journal of Vegetation Science  

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology  

Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine  

Mammalian Species  

Micropaleontology  

Mountain Research and Development  

Northeastern Naturalist  

Northwestern Naturalist  

PALAIOS  

Paleobiology  

Photochemistry and Photobiology  

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia  

Radiation Research  

The Society of Wetland Scientists Bulletin  

Southeastern Naturalist  

The Southwestern Naturalist  

Systematic Botany  

Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science  

Waterbirds  

Weed Science  

Wetlands  

The Wilson Bulletin