LibGuides: TC 302: Relativism / Slotta: How to read a journal article

Breaking down a scholarly article

At about the 7 min mark, the video talks about a strategy for skimming.

How to Read Scholarly Articles

Scholarly Articles can be long and dense, but most scholarly articles have a structure. Once you understand the structure of the texts, they become easier to read and understand.

Components	Key Points
Abstract	Short summary of the article includes: the research question being addressed why it is worthwhile to conduct this study how the study was conducted the main findings of the study
Introduction	Discusses main research contributions and knowledge on the topic Positions the author's approach to the topic and identifies their unique contributions ("they say this, I say this")
Methods/ Methodology	Identifies approach / instrument used to conduct a study Identifies how the author gathered the data analyzed in the study May discuss limitations of the study
Discussion	Analyzes the data collected or the results of the experiment Includes tables, charts, etc. for data visualization
Conclusion	Restates the problem addressed in the paper Summarizes key takeaways from the research Discusses the significance and implications of the research Based upon these findings, suggests new approaches for studying the problem
References	List of research cited in paper

Not all research papers are organized in such a manner, but all research papers provide these components whether they are labeled thus or not.

Help with methodologies

What is a snowball sampling? Are anonymous surveys valid? Evaluating the research methodologies of experts in a field unfamiliar to you can be daunting. I like this database.

SAGE Research Methods
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A research methods tool created to help researchers, faculty and students with their research projects. Contains content from over 720 books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks, the entire “Little Green Book,” and "Little Blue Book” series, two Major Works collating a selection of journal articles, and specially commissioned videos. Researchers can explore methods and concepts to help them design research projects, understand particular methods or identify a new method, conduct their research, and write up their findings. Since Sage Research Methods focuses on methodology rather than disciplines, it can be used across the social sciences, health sciences, and more.