Writing 100 (Soltis)

Empirical articles are based on an experiment or study.  The authors will report the purpose of the study, the research methodology, and results. This is a familiar structure for empirical articles (IMRAD):

• introduction
• methods
• results
• discussion

In describing the purpose of their study, authors will present a mini literature review to discuss how previous research has led up to their original research project.

Also called:

• primary research article/source
• primary literature article
• original research article

Example: The prevalence of sleep disorders in college students: Impact on academic performance

In PsycINFO, use the Methodology limiter to narrow to empirical study (original research).

You may also want to try clinical case study, clinical trial, or treatment outcome depending on your topic.