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Research Guides

Research Crash Course

Parts of a Scholarly Article

Scholarly articles usually follow a similar format. They are made up of a variety of pieces depending upon the discipline and purpose of the article. 

Title

A good title will explain the overall idea presented in the article. 

Author(s)

Tells you who is responsible for the creation of the work. It could be one person, a group of people, or an institution. When doing detailed research, you may find yourself coming across the same creators frequently. Make a note of this! Are they among the top scholars in the field? What has their impact been?

Abstract

A short summary of the article's contents. It will usually quickly cover the most important parts of the article, including the methodology used

Keywords

Usually a list of words, terms, or phrases that describe the content of the article. Sometimes, a controlled vocabulary, like Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) or Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) are used. If the article is beneficial to your research, consider using some of these keywords to search for more resources in databases!

Introduction

Summarizes the article's main focus and the author's argument or claim. It contains background information on the topic. It describes what research has come before and how the author has contributed to the scholarly conversation. It should include information about the purpose and importance of the research.

Literature Review

Information does not exist in a vacuum! All research is influenced by the research that was done before—and that will be done after—it. In a literature review, the author discusses the research that has been done on the topic up until this point. They will reference important and influential studies, theoretical frameworks, and foundational texts and explain why they matter. This section is great for quickly learning a lot about a topic (and finding other sources to check out!). It contextualizes the article in the broader scholarly conversation.

Materials and Methods/Methodology

An explanation of how the authors conducted their research and why they decided to do it in that manner. They will explain their techniques, how they carried out their experiments, and the limitations their methods imposed. This section should have enough details for you to be able to replicate their study yourself. 

Results

If the authors conducted primary research, they will explain their findings here. The results should be presented clearly and without bias. The data may be presented in the form of tables, charts, or diagrams. 

Discussion

An analysis of what was (or was not) discovered. Was the research question answered? The author will elaborate on what they learned and talk about how it relates to existing knowledge on the topic. 

For articles in the sciences/social sciences (or if the author conducted primary research), they will use this section to interpret their results and explain what they mean. They may express any strengths or shortcomings in their research, compare their results to other studies, or suggest further research that should be performed. 

For articles in the arts and humanities, this section will most likely take up a majority of the article. They will offer analysis and criticism.

Remember: the author is giving you their opinion in this section. They are basing this opinion on facts and data, but it is an opinion all the same. Their interpretation of the data will most likely be impacted by any biases or beliefs that they hold. Use discretion!

Figures

Visual representations of the information presented in the article. They may be charts, images, graphs, maps, or tables. 

Conclusion

Where the author wraps up the discussion on the topic and offers their final thoughts. They may comment on how their research contributed to the field and suggest potential areas for future research. This is sometimes its own section, and other times included on the end of the Discussion. 

References/Works Cited

A list of all of the sources that the author referred to in the article or referenced during their research. If this section is missing, beware! Either the author plagiarized or it is not a scholarly article. 

Reading a Scholarly Article

Reading a scholarly article is a unique reading experience. It's unlike reading a novel; you most likely won't be reading it straight through from beginning to end. The way you read will be guided by what exactly you need from the text. You will likely jump around from section to section and skim or scan the text based on what your information needs are. This isn't a mystery novel; you won't spoil anything by skipping ahead to the conclusion!

The following sections outline a few scenarios explaining why you would read a scholarly article. Find the scenario that fits your situation closest and read on to learn how to work smarter, not harder. 

Remember: these are just suggested reading techniques. Feel free to manipulate them to best fit your needs!

Assigned Reading for Class

Section Reading Order/Where the Most Energy Should Go Why You Should Care About These Sections Things to Keep in Mind While Reading
  1. Abstract
  2. Introduction
  3. Conclusion
  4. Discussion
  5. Results
 These sections give you the highlights of the article. You learn about the argument the author is trying to make, how they defend that argument, and the conclusions they have drawn. 

How is this article relevant to other course content?

Why am I reading this article? How will it be used later on?

What are some quotes or sections that stand out?

What is the argument the author is trying to make?

How does my opinion differ from the author's? (Remember to refer to the evidence!)

 

Finding Sources for a Paper

Section Reading Order/Where the Most Energy Should Go Why You Should Care About These Sections Things to Keep in Mind While Reading
  1. Abstract (maybe the Introduction)
  2. Conclusion

A title can only tell you so much about an article. Reading the Abstract and Conclusion will tell you the main points of the article. If they match up with your research question, read on!

Sometimes articles in the Arts and Humanities don't have an Abstract. If that's the case, move on to the Introduction, instead. If it has section headings, skim through these, as they will help you quickly learn about the organization and themes of the article. 

What is the author's argument? Do they support it well?

What is my research question?

What is the author's research question?

How can I use this in my argument?

How does this compare with other sources I've found so far? Does it contain any new information?

 

Finding Citations for a Paper

Section Reading Order/Where the Most Energy Should Go Why You Should Care About These Sections Things to Keep in Mind While Reading
  1. Abstract
  2. Introduction
  3. Conclusion
  4. Discussion
  5. Results

Consider reading the article more than once.

These sections summarize the author's purpose, key findings, and conclusions. They offer insights into the article's significance and limitations, helping ensure that you cite sources accurately and in the proper context.

Does this support my argument?

How does this fit alongside other sources I've found?

What are any potential biases this author may have? How could this influence their argument?

Are the author's conclusions valid or sound?

 

 

Doing a Research Project or Independent Study

Section Reading Order/Where the Most Energy Should Go Why You Should Care About These Sections Things to Keep in Mind While Reading

Read the whole thing!

  1. Abstract
  2. Introduction
  3. Conclusion
  4. Discussion
  5. Results
  6. Body (Literature Review, Materials & Methodology, Figures, etc.)
  7. References

Consider reading the article more than once.

Reading the full article will not only enable you to fully understand the author's argument, but it will also help reveal nuances, limitations, and potential biases in the author's research and conclusions. It will help you identify gaps in the research and areas where you can explore further in your own research. 

If the author included a Literature Review, take a look at that, too! They've done a lot of work by synthesizing and explaining what others in the field have written on the topic already. You may want to refer to the References section ​​​​​to locate a few of those articles to use in your work. 

While you're reading, take note of any citations that seem helpful in answering your research question. Once you're done reading, find them in the References section and seek out the full text of the articles to further your research.

What is the author's argument? Do they support it well?

How does this influence my argument? Does it support or go against other evidence I have gathered?

Can you repeat the author's work based on the information they've provided?

Are there any holes in the author's research or conclusions?

Are the results presented in a factual and unbiased manner?

Was anything important left out or ignored?

Can I identify any areas for future study?

Helpful Tips

Have you ever found yourself with a massive stack of articles and books to get through, but only a few hours to get through them? Rather than only choosing a few to read in their entirety and discarding the rest, try speed reading! Scanning and skimming are two techniques you can employ to gain a basic understanding of a lot of resources in a shorter period of time. They'll allow you to grasp the overall ideas of the article, but remember: your comprehension will be limited. You won't gather the finer details that you would if you were to have read it in its entirety.

Skimming

Skimming allows you to read more content in less time. It's helpful in determining if an article (or section of an article) is relevant to your research and worth your time.

How to Skim

  1. You won't be reading every word on the page. First, read the Abstract to get an understanding of what the article is about.

  2. Then, read the first sentence of each paragraph. These are usually topic sentences​​​​​​: they should introduce what the rest of the paragraph will be discussing. If the first sentence is not a topic sentence, you may decide you want to skim a bit more.
  3. If it seems worthwhile based on that first sentence, skip through the paragraph looking for important information, like names, dates, and keywords.
  4. The final paragraph of the section may contain a conclusion that wraps up what was stated previously. Read this section to see what was discussed.

Scanning

Scanning is very similar to skimming. When you scan, you are going into the material looking for specific pieces of information or an answer to a question.

How to Scan

  1. Skim the passages first to see if they have the potential to contain the information you're looking for.

  2. Jump around the text looking for keywords related to the information you're seeking
    • Focus on one keyword at a time. It's easy to miss things if you have a long list of keywords to keep an eye out for!
  3. When you find a relevant keyword, read the surrounding material carefully to see if it matches up with what you mean.
  • While you're reading—or scanning, or skimming—mark up the text! You can do this either on a printed-out paper copy with a pen and highlighter or digitally with a program like Zotero or Adobe Reader. 
  • Write down your thoughts or questions as you read. Did the author make a good point that would fit well as a reference in your paper? Make a note of it!
  • Make note of any words, terms, acronyms, or phrases that you don't recognize or understand. If it's essential to your understanding of the article, look it up. If it can wait, continue scanning and look it up later. You'll probably find yourself doing this less and less as your research carries on and you gather more knowledge on the topic. It's worthwhile to spend some time in the beginning familiarizing yourself with these terms! 
  • After you finish a section, try to summarize what you've read in your own words. Can you explain what the key terms and ideas mean? Basically, do you understand what you just read? If not, consider going back and rereading. Slow down and look up words you don't understand.
  • Try not to over-highlight. It's hard to determine what's truly important if 80 percent of the page is highlighted! Wait until you finish the paragraph or section, then go back and highlight the main ideas.
  • Assign specific symbols (or highlighter colors) to use for certain ideas you want to make a note of. For example:
    • Write a "?" when you have a question or want to explore something further.
    • Write a "!" when something is especially noteworthy, interesting, or connects to something else you've read.
    • Draw a star next to something you could use as an example or evidence in your own work.
  • If this is your first time exploring this topic, read the Literature Review. It'll give you the history of the research that has already been done in the field, quickly informing you of the basics that you should know before digging in deeper. Once you read more scholarly articles on the topic and have a better understanding of the topic, use your best judgment to see if you should read, skim, scan, or skip the literature review sections.
  • Make sure you keep your research question in mind while you're reading. Focus more on what's relevant to your research and skim over the parts that are irrelevant to you.
  • Don't forget to think! Think critically about what you're reading. Don't blindly trust everything that the author says. Does the evidence presented back up what they're saying? What biases could the author potentially have that are impacting their argument? 

Questions? Need Help? Email reference@drew.edu

Drew University Library, https://drew.edu/academic/student-resources/library/