Sociology Resources: SOC499

Confirm that it is a scholarly article. It should be published in a scholarly journal and not a newspaper or popular magazine. The authors should be experts in the field and not journalists. The article must have a reference list. If the article does not have these elements it is not scholarly, and it cannot be a research article.

The article should clearly state that the author(s) conducted research, ran surveys, did experiments, collected data, or otherwise gathered material on their own or with a team of researchers. It must be original research conducted by the authors of the research article, and needs to be identified as such.

A research article is different than a review article, which is a critical evaluation of material that has been previously published. This can be done to assess the state of the literature on a topic (which is a literature review), and to suggest steps for future research.

The abstract often has clues. Look for a sentence that says something like “this study examines…” or “we did research to find…” Such statements indicate that the author probably conducted original research

Source: McConnell Library, Radford University

Research articles typically follow a particular format, and include specific elements that show how the research was designed, how the data was gathered, how it was analyzed, and what the conclusions are. Sometimes these sections may be labeled a bit differently, but these basic elements are consistent:

Abstract: A brief, comprehensive summary of the article, written by the author(s) of the article.This abstract must be part of the article, not a summary in the database.

Introduction: This introduces the problem, tells you why it’s important, and outlines the background, purpose, and hypotheses the authors are trying to test. The introduction comes first, just after the abstract, and is usually not labeled.

Method: Tells the reader in detail how the research was conducted, and may be subdivided into subsections describing Materials, Apparatus, Subjects, Design, and Procedures.

Results: Summarizes the data and describes how it was analyzed. It should be sufficiently detailed to justify the conclusions. 

Discussion: The authors explain how the data fits their original hypothesis, state their conclusions, and look at the theoretical and practical implications of their research.

References: Lists the complete bibliography of sources cited in the research article.

Source: McConnell Library, Radford University

The highlighted areas below represent the typical sections found in a scholarly research article. Click the image for an interactive view.

Source: NCSU Libraries. Shared under the Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

HOW TO APPROACH THE ARTICLE

Don't be a passive reader. Keep in mind your reason for reading the article. 

1. Remember your research question (or the core question the article itself is attempting to discuss).
2. Focus on the information in the article that is relevant to your research question (skim over other parts)
3. Question everything you read -- not everything is 100% true or correct.
4. Think critically about what you read and try to build your own argument based on it. 

*Modified from guides by Pasadena City College, University of New England, and Fitchburg State University.

STEPS TO READ THE ARTICLE

Part of being an informed reader is knowing how to read the article.

You are looking through a lot of articles for a specific reason. The quickest and most effective reading method is to understand how the articles are organized and then read specific areas to locate the information you need.

• Look at the structure of the article (most scientific articles follow the same format). 

1. Abstract (summary of the whole article)
2. Introduction (why they did the research) - The purpose/hypothesis of the study is presented and previous research framing the current question is reviewed.
3. Methodology (how they did the research) - An accounting of how the study was carried out: who the subjects were, under what conditions they were tested, etc. 
4. Results (what happened) - The data from the study is presented with dense mathematical formulas, charts, graphs, or other visual representations. 
5. Discussion (what the results mean) - A narrative review of the data and whether it proved or disproved the original thesis. 
6. Conclusion (what they learned) - A restatement of the results in straightforward language and future directions for research.
7. References (whose research they read and cited to support their own body of work)

• Read the abstract and conclusion first (these have the main points).
• If you find anything in the abstract or conclusion that is important for your paper, search for the information within the body of the article. 
• If you need more information, then read through whole sections (usually discussion or results section). 
• Pay attention to what each section is about. The Abstract, Discussion, and Conclusion sections usually have the most important information. 

*Modified from guides by Pasadena City College, University of New England, and Fitchburg State University.

ITEMS TO CONSIDER WHEN CRITIQUING AN ARTICLE

• Hypotheses
  • Are research questions and/or hypotheses explicitly stated? If not, is their absence justified?
  • Are questions and hypotheses appropriately worded, with clear specification of key variables and the study population? 
  • Are the questions/hypotheses consistent with the literature review and the conceptual framework? 
• Sampling Method
  • Were appropriate procedures used to safeguard the rights of study participants?
  • Was the study subject to external review by an institutional review board/ethics review board? 
  • Was the study designed to minimize risks and maximize benefit to participants?
• Subjects Chosen
  • Was the population identified and described? 
  • Was the sample described in sufficient detail?
  • Was the best possible sampling design used to enhance the samples representativeness? Were sample biases minimized?
  • Was the sample size adequate? 
• Data Collection Method
  • Were key variables operationalized using the best possible method?
  • Are the specific instruments adequately described and were they good choices, given the study purpose and study population? 
• Study Design
  • What evidence does the author offer in support of the position put forth?
  • What is the nature of each piece of supporting evidence? (ex. based on empirical research, ethical consideration, common knowledge, anecdote?)
  • Does the research design adequately address the question posed above?
• Statistical Analysis
  • Were analyses undertaken to address each research question or test each hypothesis? 
  • Were appropriate statistical methods used, given the level of measurement of the variables, number of groups being compared, and so on?
• Discussion
  • Are all major findings interpreted and discussed within the context of prior research and/or the study's conceptual framework?
  • Were casual inferences, if any, justified?
  • Are the interpretations consistent with the results and with the study's limitations? 
  • Does the report address the issue of the generalizability of the findings?

HOW TO REFERENCE THE ARTICLE

There are two main ways to reference an article in your paper:

1. Quoting
   • Use quotations when the author's original words are so poignant that you can not reword it and retain the integrity of what the author was saying.
   • Usually, use quotations for definitions.
2. Paraphrasing
   • Use paraphrasing to tell your reader in your own words what the author had to say.
   • Most commonly used in academic writing. 

Your program uses APA Style formatting. For more help with APA style and Word document formatting, please visit the APA page of this guide. 

*Modified from guides by Pasadena City College, University of New England, and Fitchburg State University.