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VIRTUAL REACH PROGRAM 2020

CONTENTS

How to Read an Article from an

Academic Journal

Reading a scientific (also known as scholarly or academic) journal article can be intimidat-
ing. The structure and style of a journal article is different from other types of writing. The
terminology may be specific to a particular discipline. The research methods may be unfa-
miliar and difficult for the non-scientist to understand. But hang on and don’t give up! Try us-
ing these reading strategies to help you tackle the articles assigned in the preceding
chapters.
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We chose to include some academic journal articles in these resources because learning
Next: Glossary of Terms
how to approach a journal article is an important skill for college success.

This video from Utah State University Libraries provides helpful advice on how to read a
journal article.

How To Read a Scientific Article

ANATOMY OF A JOURNAL ARTICLE

First, understand that a journal article is structured in a particular way and that the struc-
ture may differ depending on the discipline. For instance, social sciences articles may look a
bit different from engineering articles. These are the most basic sections and components
of a journal article, although they way they are named may differ by discipline and by
publisher.

Title: The title of the article. Sometimes may include a lot of discipline-specific jargon.

Journal Name: Tells you which journal published the article; also provides insight into the
discipline/field of study.

Authors and Affiliations: Tells you who wrote the article and with what organization or
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university they are affiliated.
Next: Glossary of Terms
Date of Publication: Tells you how recent the article was published.

Abstract: A high level summary of the entire article. Is the article relevant to me and my
interests? Should I continue reading?

Introduction: Sets the context for the research study. Develops an argument for why
the study is important and how it will fill an identified gap in the existing research litera-
ture. What is the big idea? What are the authors trying to understand?

Research Question/Hypothesis: Presents the questions that are posed and investi-
gated by the study, or presents the researchers’ hypothesis. This section may be embed-
ded into the Introduction, or come after a Literature Review section.

Literature Review: Some articles will include a Literature Review or Framing Literature
section. This section describes relevant research studies. In social sciences articles in
particular, it may be used to develop a conceptual or theoretical framework for the fea-
tured study.

Methods: Describes the overall methodology employed for the study. Also described in
detail the research methods, which may include the participants and how they were re-
cruited, the study context, data collection methods, and methods of data analysis. Do
the methods seem appropriate for answering the research question(s)? Do you understand
what the researchers did?

Findings/Results: Provides a summary of the findings from the study or experiment.

May include charts, tables, graphs, and data visualizations. Do the results appear to an-
swer the research question(s)?

Discussion: Provides a discussion of the findings and what they mean in relation to the
research question or hypothesis, or the conceptual or theoretical framework. This sec-
tion is where the authors present their interpretations of their findings. What do the re-
sults mean? Why are they important?

Conclusion: Brings the article to a close. May discuss the limitations of the study, poten-
tial sources of bias, or opportunities for further research. Do you agree with the authors’
conclusions?
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Acknowledgements: This is where the authors express their gratitude

Next: to collegues,
Glossary of Terms
mentors, journal editors, and the organizations that funded their research.

Bibliography/References/Works Cited: List of sources used when developing the study

or writing the article.

HOW TO READ A JOURNAL ARTICLE EFFICIENTLY

Be B.R.A.V.E. when reading a scientific journal article!

Be BRAVE!

Background knowledge: Before reading the full article, skim the text very quickly.
Look at the major headings and sub-headings. Look at pictures, graphs and tables.
What do you recognize? What looks familiar?

Read with Purpose: Figure out your reason for reading the article. Why is it impor-
tant? Why do you need to know this? How will the information help you?

Annotate: Read with a pen in hand and interact with the text. See the Annotation Tips
below.

Extend Your Thinking: After you finish the reading, summarize in your own words on a
piece of paper. If reflection questions are provided, respond to the prompts. Talk to a
friend or parent about what you just read. Think about how it connects to what you
have learned at school or read elsewhere.

Check out these additional reading tips.

Reading Tip #1: Order

Read the journal article in the following order, rather in the order in which it is presented
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on the screen or page:
1. Abstract Next: Glossary of Terms
 2. Discussion
3. Introduction
4. Results (skim)
5. Methodology (skim)
6. Conclusion

Tip #2: Annotate

Annotate (mark-up) the article as you read this. You might choose to print the article and
use pen or highlighters to annotate it. If reading online, you may want to take notes on a
piece of paper. When annotating, it can be helpful to use symbols, such as:

Annotation Techniques

Important: *or Underline/Highlight text that feels important.

Question: ? for text that is confusing that you may want to return to later. Or write
down your own emerging questions in the margin.

Interesting: ! when you find something particularly interesting, insightful, or juicy.

Connections: + When you make a connection to something else you know, or have
read elsewhere.

New Terms: Circle unfamiliar terms. You can return later to define them if needed.

Margin Notes: Write notes in the margins to help direct your attention back to key
concepts.

Tip #3: Skim

Skim sections that go into more detail than you think you need. Skim words or terms that
Previous: College and Career Pathways
are highly technical or specific to the discipline that you don’t yet understand. You do not
need to understand every word, just try to read for the big ideas. You Next:
can also check
Glossary out
of Terms
the Glossary of Terms in this book’s appendix to help you develop your neural engineering
vocabulary.

Keep in mind that scientists, engineers, and professors regularly come across journal arti-
cles that are difficult to read, especially when they are reading an article from a discipline
other than their own area of study. Over time, everyone develops their own efficient read-
ing strategies. You will too!

Citation:

Some material adapted from Miranda Horn, Deer Park Middle School with her permission.

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