These journals publish research that has been peer reviewed (that is, articles submitted for publication have been critiqued by other researchers, typically without knowing who wrote the article they are reviewing). An editor synthesizes the reviews and decides whether to publish the article, publish it after revisions, or reject it. Many leading journals publish fewer than one-third of the articles submitted. Even so, just because an article is peer reviewed does not mean that it is necessarily of the highest quality or that the results may be applied in every situation.
Following are some well-known scholarly journals in child development and early education. Most offer limited internet access; all are available in college and university libraries.
- American Educational Research Journal
- Child Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Early Childhood Research and Practice (on line journal)
- Early Childhood Research Quarterly
- Early Education and Development
- International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education (on line journal)
- Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology
- Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education
- Journal of Early Intervention
- Journal of Research in Childhood Education
