Reading Research Articles

Reading research articles is how you find out what is already known on a specific topic. But you have to know what to look for and what it means. Scholarly articles follow a general pattern that reflects full research reports regardless of journal formats.

After the title, check the abstract before you open the full text. This gives you the bullet points about what you'll find in the text. If you think it fits with your topic, move forward to the details.

The introduction poses the background of the issue and tells you what is already known on that specific topic. It makes a case for why the authors conducted the study. This is a great place to find leads to related articles of interest.

The methods summarize the research design, who participated (the subjects), what they did (procedures) in detail, and the statistical analyses used. Authors give explanations of why they conducted studies the way they did. Helpful visuals showing equipment and procedural activities are sometimes presented.

The results section tells what they actually found without interpretation. They reveal the statistical results and the significance levels. The highlights are in the text and visuals (tables and figures).

In the discussion section, the authors talk about their results in light of the literature--what's consistent, what's different from results of previous studies. They also mention any glitches, shortcomings, or any additional observations about their study.

Finally, it all funnels down to conclusions--the findings in a nutshell--and recommendations for future research. These sections may be part of the discussion section, depending upon the editorial requirements.

Some journals include additional headings, such as practical applications. Here authors suggest how the findings could be used in the real world. This is helpful, but take it with a grain of salt. It means based upon their study within its scope and limitations. Reading the bottom line only opens the door to misapplications, particularly when studies are basic rather than applied in nature.

Finally, authors include a list of references that they cited in the article. This is where you can track down related articles of interest.

Related pages:

Research Paper Outline

Research Terminology

Research Topic Ideas

Statistical Symbols

Top of Reading Research Articles

Back To Dissertation Advice

Back to Home Page