Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
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Students and researchers often ask whether Simply Psychology is peer reviewed and whether it counts as a credible source for essays and literature reviews. Simply Psychology is widely used in secondary and higher education, but it is an educational website, not a scholarly journal.
Short Answer
No. Simply Psychology is not a peer-reviewed academic journal and does not publish original empirical research evaluated through formal scholarly peer review. It is an educational reference website. Its editorial policy describes an internal process in which articles are reviewed before publication by qualified academics or clinicians and fact-checked by editorial staff.
How Simply Psychology’s Review Works
According to Simply Psychology’s editorial policy (checked November 7, 2026), the site uses an internal expert review rather than external, blinded journal peer review. The policy describes these stages:
- Author expertise: Articles are written by contributors with relevant expertise, including psychologists, therapists, mental health practitioners, researchers, and writers with academic training in psychology.
- Expert review: Before publication, each article is reviewed by qualified academics or clinicians. The policy states that this process mirrors the standards used in academic publishing, but it is an internal editorial review, not journal peer review.
- Sourcing rules: Writers are expected to cite reputable, verifiable sources such as peer-reviewed journals, government health agencies, medical associations, and university publications.
- Fact-checking and updates: Editorial staff fact-check every article, and articles are reassessed every 12 to 24 months, or sooner when new research appears.
What Is Peer Reviewed and What Is Not
Formal peer review means independent, external experts evaluate original data, study design, and methods before a journal publishes a manuscript. If you are exploring what psychology is as an empirical discipline, this is the standard that journal articles meet and that educational websites do not.
Simply Psychology’s articles are educational summaries, so the review checks the accuracy of the summary rather than the merit of new data. In practice that means:
- Theory overviews and study summaries: Articles on classic theories and experiments are tertiary educational summaries, not original peer-reviewed manuscripts.
- Mental health explainers: The policy says mental health content also receives clinical oversight from mental health professionals, but these articles are still explainers, not clinical trial reports.
- Study guides: Material written for students focuses on clear explanation rather than new scholarly analysis.
Is Simply Psychology Indexed as a Journal?
Scholarly journals are tracked by indexes and directories. A search of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) for “simply psychology” returns zero results (checked November 7, 2026), consistent with the site being a website rather than a journal. To find indexed empirical literature instead, use a database search such as a PsycINFO search strategy, or look for preprints on PsyArXiv.
How to Check a Specific Article Yourself
- Check the byline and reviewer: See who wrote the article and who reviewed it, and what qualifications are listed.
- Find the references: Go to the reference list and check whether it cites primary studies in reputable peer-reviewed journals.
- Trace claims to the original study: Find the cited paper by its DOI or citation and read its methods, sample, and conclusions rather than relying on the summary.
- Cite the primary source: In academic work, cite the original study you have read. For help structuring a paper, see how to write a research paper. For why replication matters when checking classic findings, see the psychology replication crisis guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Simply Psychology peer reviewed?
Not in the journal sense. Its editorial policy describes review by qualified academics or clinicians before publication, which it says mirrors academic publishing standards, but this is internal review rather than independent external peer review.
Is Simply Psychology a credible source?
It is a useful educational resource for introductory learning and revision, with stated author qualifications, expert review, fact-checking, and sourcing rules. It is still a tertiary source, so for research claims you should follow its references back to the primary studies. Check your instructor’s or institution’s rules on which sources are acceptable.
Who founded Simply Psychology?
According to its About page, Simply Psychology has operated since 2007 and was founded by Saul McLeod, who is also listed as Editor-in-Chief. The page states it reaches more than 3 million monthly visitors worldwide.
Does Simply Psychology charge for access?
Its About page describes free and open access with no subscription fees, paywalls, or hidden costs.
Sources
- Simply Psychology. Editorial Policy. https://www.simplypsychology.org/editorial-policy.html (checked November 7, 2026).
- Simply Psychology. About Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/about.html (checked November 7, 2026).
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Journal search API, query “simply psychology”. https://doaj.org/api/v2/search/journals/simply%20psychology (checked November 7, 2026).
