Books are very similar to reference books as they can give you a broad overview of your topic mention specific theories or research areas that you may want to pursue further. Examining the history will give you a well-round view of your topic, but it can also point you toward entirely new topics. For instance, you may be very interested in psychology and mental disorders, but not know much about the type of research in that field regarding how it is conducted, what it entails, and what research remains to be uncovered.
You will also identify some of the key researchers in the field (books on similar topics should be discussing the same researchers). These are researchers whose scholarly articles you will want to look for later.
It is important to keep in mind that books are often not peer-reviewed. Therefore, read unedited books with caution; an edited book will list editors who are knowledgeable in the same field as the primary authors. Additionally, look for books published by university presses, as these books are reviewed by an editorial board and outside reviewers.
Peer-reviewed articles are usually referred to as scholarly articles. Although many books go through some editorial review process, there is not an easy way to determine a author has an authority on the subject he or she is writing.
One method for locating peer-reviewed books is to take a look at book publications from university presses. Books published by university presses almost always go through a process of peer review. These books are usually written by faculty members, which are under pressure to produce authoritative scholarly literature. The process of peer review for university presses typically involves two or three independent referees who will initially review the manuscript. If the manuscript receives a positive review, the university press will send it to their editorial board, who are all faculty members, for final review.
Another method for determining whether a book is peer-reviewed is to locate book reviews within scholarly journals on that particular book. These book reviews may provide a deep evaluation regarding the quality of scholarship and authority in the book. You can search for book reviews in Galileo.