Writing 10 (Haner)

Read the abstract first

The abstract previews the entire article, makes it easier to judge whether it is relevant.

Titles can only tell you so much about the content of the article. The Abstract acts as a preview for the entire article, including the methods and results. By reading the Abstract first, you can get a better idea of what the article is actually about, if it relates to what you are researching, and whether it is worth your time to read the rest of it.

Next, read the intro and the conclusion

Learn more about the topic of study and what the authors learned through their research.

• These two sections give you the background information for the topic of the article as well as what happened in the study.
• The introduction includes info about previous studies/papers that relate to the current one.
• The conclusion will provide a summary of the the study findings or analysis and an explanation of how their research contributes to their specific field of study.
• By reading the conclusion you see whether the study answered the original research question and what the authors see as the next steps in their research.