Re: How many (peer reveiwed) journals are there?

[richards1000@comcast.net]

Two international standards that define "journal" are ISBD app. E 
(Preliminary consolidated ed. 2007), available at 
http://www.ifla.org/VII/s13/pubs/ISBD_consolidated_2007.pdf , and 
the glossary to Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (2d ed. rev.).

I believe scholarly journals, and peer-reviewed scholarly 
journals, are identified as such in Ulrich's International 
Periodicals Directory <http://www.ulrichsweb.com> (the 
publisher's submission form is at 
<http://www.ulrichsweb.com/ulrichsweb/ulrichsweb_news/NewListings.pdf>, 
so searching in that database might be a place to start.  But 
publishers unfamiliar with traditional distribution methods might 
not know to list in Ulrich's.

The international ISSN database <http://www.issn.org> doesn't 
appear to identify journals or peer reviewed journals.

I'm not aware of a standard (national or international) for peer 
review of articles in scholarly journals, though national 
government agencies have standards for peer review of grant 
proposals.  See, e.g. 
<http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/meritreview/>.

(If anyone knows of a national or international standard for 
journal article peer review, I'd very much like to see it.) 
Each scholarly journal or publisher appears to apply its own peer 
review procedures: see, e.g. <http://publish.aps.org/policies>, 
<http://pubs.acs.org/paragonplus/review/joceah/index.html>.

Robert C. Richards, Jr., J.D.*, M.A., M.S.L.I.S.
Philadelphia, PA
E-mail: richards1000@comcast.net
* Admitted to practice in New York only.