BIOL 2420 (Microbiology for Non-Science Majors) Prof. E. Tilton

Scholarly research articles are published in journals associated with universities, official scholarly associations, and research institutions. Original research is conducted by the authors of these articles and each article must go through an editorial process. We refer to most of these types of articles as peer-reviewed when the research articles go through a peer-review process prior to publication.

Source:  New Jersey Institute of Technology (June 26, 2019)

Caution: If your assignment requires locating peer-reviewed research articles, be aware that other types of articles that might be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Other types of articles will not include original research and may be considered editorials, guidelines, positional statements, or professional advice. While these articles provide useful information on a topic, if you have to access research articles, look for the structure explained below.

Tips for Success in Reading Articles:

• Once you have selected an academic/scholarly/peer-reviewed article, make sure to check out the abstract (summary) near the top of the first page.  This will give you a quick overview of what is found and discussed throughout the article.
• If the material presented in the abstract does not meet your needs, stop there and keep looking for an article that does cover what you do need.
• The next thing to do is to scan through most of the document to see what the major themes and keywords are.  Take note of the kinds of graphics, charts, and images that may be presented.  When you get to the end of the article it can often be helpful to read the conclusion too.  This will give you a frame of reference when you actually begin to read through the article.
• Also, it can be helpful to look over the works cited/reference list at the bottom of the page to get an idea of what is being written about.

Many times, it is not necessary to read the entirety of an article.  You may be looking for one particular piece of information and once you’ve found it you may be ready to look at another source.

Watch "Understanding the Parts of an Academic Article" and learn ways to find the information you need.

The Shape and Size of an Article

Image courtesy of North Carolina State University Libraries