What is a defining characteristic of refereed or peer-reviewed journals?

A defining characteristic of refereed or peer-reviewed journals is that they have a panel of internal and external reviewers for manuscript evaluation. This process is crucial for maintaining the quality and credibility of the research published in these journals. Peer review involves experts in the relevant field critically assessing the submitted manuscripts for their originality, rigor, methodology, and significance. This evaluation helps ensure that the research meets the scholarly standards and contributes valuable knowledge to the field.

While some journals may have subscription fees, this is not a defining feature of peer-reviewed journals as many also provide open access options. The assertion that peer-reviewed journals are easier to publish in compared to regular journals is misleading, as the peer-review process is designed to be rigorous and may actually make publication more challenging. Finally, allowing authors to choose their reviewers is not a standard practice in peer-reviewed journals, as this could compromise the impartiality of the review process. Thus, the requirement for a structured review process with independent reviewers is what fundamentally defines refereed or peer-reviewed journals.