How to Read a Scholarly Article

Let's look at the different parts of a scholarly article that presents scientific research:

Abstract:

• Brief description of the article
• You can read this to decide whether you want to read the entire article.

Introduction:

• Description of the problem, or the research question, and why this study is being done
• Sometimes includes a short literature review (a discussion of other sources, such as books and articles, that informed the author(s) of this article)

Article Text

• The main part of an article is its body text.
• This is where the author analyzes the argument, research question, or problem. This section also includes analysis and criticism.
• The author may use headings to divide this part of the article into sections.

Scientific research articles may include these sections:

• Literature review (Discussion of other sources, such as books and articles, that informed the author(s) of this article)
• Methods (Description of the way the research study was set up and how data was collected)
• Results (Presentation of the research study results)
• Discussion (Discussion of whether the results of the study answer the research question)

You may see some of these same sections in articles written by scholars who work in the humanities (fields of study that include literature, philosophy, history, languages, and the arts).

Conclusion:

• Wraps up the article.
• This section isn't always labeled.
• Description of how this article or research study contributes to or builds on the previous research of other scholars.
• Also includes ideas for future research others might do on this topic.

References/Works Cited:

List of resources (books, articles, etc.) cited in this article.