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Spark 1 (Mireles)

The Hidden Curriculum

Reading Scholarly Articles

Skipping around is encouraged when reading a scholarly article.

  • begin by reading abstract
  • skim the introduction and jump to the end to read the conclusion
  • then, look at the results to view the data (graphs, charts, images, etc.)

Skimming these sections first will allow you to quickly determine if the article is relevant to your research and if you should do an in-depth reading.

How To Read a Scholarly Article (3:35)

Western Libraries (2:34)

Articles in the Sciences & Social Sciences

Scientific research articles include original studies and review articles that contribute to the current scholarship on a given topic. 

The table below describes the components of scholarly articles in the Social Sciences and Physical Sciences. The majority of articles in these disciplines will have the sections listed below.

Abstract Brief summary of the article, including research question, methodology and results.
Introduction Background information about the topic, leading up to why this study is being done, and may include a brief literature review.
Methods Description of how the study procedures, set-up and how data was collected.
Results/Findings Presentation of the data from the study. This section often includes tables, charts, or other visualizations of the data.
Discussion Analysis of the data and how the study relates to existing knowledge of the topic. The authors evaluate whether their results answer their research question. 
Conclusion The authors wrap up the article by discussion how their study contributes to the research on this topic and outline future  potential research questions or studies. 
References List of resources that the authors consulted when developing their research and subsequently cited in their article.