Evaluating Sources: Reading a Scientific Article

To begin working with empirical/research articles, the Library recommends viewing the video How to Read and Understand a Research Study from Sage and reading Evaluating Research Studies from the Handbook of Research Design & Social Measurement .

• When beginning to read in a new discipline, you will need to build knowledge of terminology.
  • Look up terms and concepts in encyclopedias and dictionaries. Course readings, textbooks, and reference databases like Credo below are an excellent way to develop discipline specific vocabulary.
  • Wikipedia articles can be a good starting point. Use them to get a feel for the topic, and to find sources in the reference list.

Understanding the basics of how different types of research are done will help you understand it.

Most research articles follow the same basic layout, with the same general sections.

Abstract

The brief summary or recap of the article.

• Read the abstract before the article!
• The abstract will tell you an overview of what they did and what the results were.

Introduction

This section introduces the article. It gives an overview of the problem, and the rationale for the study. 

1. Read the intro first.
   • Look for:
     • Why was this study necessary?
     • What question were they trying to answer?
     • What's the point of this research?
     • What's the bigger context for why research in this area is being done?
     • A good research objective is measurable, realistic, and timely. 

 Pause.

Check your understanding here.

• If the abstract and introduction aren't making sense, do more background research before reading the rest.

Results

Also called Discussion or Findings.

The results of the study. This includes analyzing the data, drawing conclusions based on the data, and determining if the hypothesis/research question was correct.

2. Read Results second. This allows you to immediately compare the question with the answer. 
   • Look for:
     • Are the conclusions in line with the research questions? 
     • Do they discuss limitations or flaws in the results?

Conclusion

Summarizes the research study and explains what conclusions the results support. 

3. Read after the results. Make sure to compare the conclusion to the introduction. 
   • Look for:
     • A clear answer to the research question established in the introduction.
     • Why the findings matter.
     • What additional research needs to be done in this area.

Method

The research methods used, the population sample, and the data collection process. The actual study part of a study.

4. Read the methods last.
   • The methods section will generally be the most technical section, so reading and understanding the other parts will make understanding it easier.
   • Compare the methods to the conclusion.
   • Look up methods in Sage Research Methods if you aren't familiar with them.
   • Look for: 
     • Does the design make sense? Especially given the conclusions. 
     • Do they identify the analysis and scales clearly? Are these validated scales that have been used in other studies?
     • Does the sample size match the conclusions made?
       • Watch out for claims of significance or absolute findings when dealing with a small number of subjects.
       • Be aware of p -hacking.