Section | What to Look for |
Introduction |
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Literature Review (note that sometimes this section is included in the introduction and doesn't have its own heading) |
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Methods |
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Results |
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Discussion |
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Conclusion |
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References |
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Scholarly articles can be a little dense. The key to reading them effectively is to know what you're looking for and where to find it. Here is a step-by-step guide.
Step 0: If there's an abstract, read it first. It provides an overview of the article.
Step 1: What is the research question(s)?
Read the Introduction and the Conclusion to identify the research question and the main point of the article.
Step 2: How did they answer the research question(s)?
Read the Methods section. Focus on the type of data, where it came from, and the size of the sample.
Step 3: What answer(s) did they find?
Read the Results section. Pay attention to tables and charts.
Step 4: What is the significance of their findings?
Read the Discussion section (if there is a separate discussion session).
Step 5: How do their findings connect with other research on the topic?
Read the Literature Review. (You'll also find some of these connections in the Discussion section.)