Q. What does "peer-reviewed" mean? Is it the same as "refereed?"

Peer review (also called "refereeing") is the process in which a scholar's work is reviewed by experts (i.e. referees) in a field before being accepted for publication (in the case of journals).  Many people give more credence to journal articles that have gone through a peer review process because they have been reviewed by experts in the field (rather than just an editor as is the case of a newspaper or magazine) before being accepted for publication. For more information see our Understanding Journals guide.

More info:

• "Peer Review". Wikipedia.
• How can I tell if an article is peer-reviewed or refereed?