What are peer-reviewed journals?

Peer-reviewed is a designation which means that the journal contents are reviewed and approved by professionals in the field. Frequently academics are reviewed and or given promotion by publication in such journals. This means, for the novice, that we can grant a good deal of authority to sources which are peer-reviewed. For example, in the field of English Literature and the study of Shakespeare there is a widely known journal titled Shakepeare Quarterly. Publication in that journal on Shakespeare is deemed as evidence of substantial achievment in the English Literature field.

What does it mean that "references" are "available:"

Like a research paper you turn in to your professor, published articles often have "Works Cited Lists" or "Bibliographies." How does that help me, you may ask? Well, one of the cool things about finding a good source is to see where that source got their information. Tracking down the sources of previous investigators is a smart thing, and can save a person a lot of valuable research time.