How does ERIC define peer review for regularly indexed content?

The peer-review indicator is assigned to a source under agreement if the content is determined to have been peer reviewed using one of these processes:

• Blind, or Anonymous Peer Review — Content is reviewed by external reviewers and the author's identity is unknown to the reviewer. A double-blind peer-review process is where both the reviewer and the author remain anonymous throughout the process.
• Expert Peer Review — Content is reviewed by internal or external reviewers, and the author's identity may or may not be known to the reviewer.

A peer-review process employing at least two reviewers with scholarly affiliation is preferred.

Internal, editorial reviews and dissertation reviews are not recognized by ERIC as accepted types of peer review.

I thought only journal articles were peer reviewed. Why is a report in ERIC marked as peer reviewed?

We have found that several high-quality, non-journal sources are peer reviewed (such as reports published by the Institute of Education Sciences—the parent organization of the National Center for Education Statistics, the What Works Clearinghouse, and the Regional Educational Laboratories). ERIC assigns the peer-review indicator to records of either journal or non-journal content if we find they have an acceptable peer-review process in place. A publisher of non-journal content may also submit an application form documenting its process. https://eric.ed.gov/pdf/ERIC_PeerReview_Application.pdf

For more information about how this determination is made, please see the answer to the question above, the ERIC Selection Policy, or the video below.

Do all peer-reviewed journal articles and non-journal materials in ERIC have the peer-reviewed flag?

The peer-review indicator has been assigned to peer-reviewed journal records in ERIC for almost 20 years. The policy to add this indicator to non-journal materials was adopted in January 2016. It is being retroactively applied to currently indexed content and to previously indexed materials that are specifically identified as peer reviewed by the provider.

Can I search for peer-reviewed journal articles only?

Yes. Check the "Peer reviewed only" filter when you conduct a search, then click the "Journal Articles" publication type in the left column of the results page. You may notice several results that have a source name of “Grantee Submission.” These are final, peer-reviewed manuscripts of work funded through federal grants. The content is the same as the journal version of the article and reflects all changes made through the peer-review process, but the manuscript may not have gone through final editing and formatting.

I am going to submit a paper using ERIC’s online submission system. Can the paper be marked as peer reviewed on the ERIC record??

Yes, if you provide evidence of a blind or expert peer-review process. The document submitted must have an explanation of the peer-review process in the front matter, or the author may submit a URL for the publisher or conference website that outlines the peer-review process. A statement that the content is peer reviewed—without an explanation of the process used—is not sufficient and the peer-review indicator will not be applied. See the infographic: How Do I Provide Evidence That My Online Submission Was Peer Reviewed?

I submitted a paper that was peer reviewed to ERIC's online submission system last year but did not provide any proof. Can I apply now for the peer-review indicator to be added to the ERIC record?

No. The peer-review indicator is added to online submissions at the time the submission is processed and is not applied retroactively.

Our association has a non-journal agreement with ERIC and our papers go through a peer-review process. How can the peer-review indicator be added to our ERIC records?

A representative from your organization may download and fill out this application. The peer-review designation may be assigned to ERIC records for all your content, or for a specific series or type of publication. If your application is approved, you will receive a countersigned form. If not approved, you will receive an email response.

Our peer-review application was approved, and the peer-review indicator is being added to new ERIC records. Can this indicator be added to the older ERIC records for similar material?

Yes. After a publisher’s application is approved, a publisher representative may submit a list of ERIC numbers for their previously indexed work that qualifies for the peer-review indicator.