Library Research Tutorial

Most research articles follow a typical pattern.  As you are reading, you may find that some sections of an article are more valuable to you than others.

Here is a breakdown of the typical sections you might encounter in a research article:

1. Abstract/Summary – provides a brief overview of the purpose of the study, research questions, methods, results, and conclusions.  The abstract helps you decide if it’s an article you want to read.  Some people use the abstract to discuss a study and never read further.  This is unwise because an abstract is just a preview of an article and may be misleading.

2. Introduction – states purpose of the study, statement of the problem, rationale for the study, and the research questions.  When a hypothesis is being tested, it should be clearly stated and include the expected results.

3. Literature Review / Background – provides a context for the study by reviewing the historical foundation on which the paper is built.  Establishes what is and is not known already about the research problem. The in-text citations/parenthetical citations make it easy to spot in a paper.

4. Methodology or Methods section – describes the tools and processes used to collect the data or the information.  Provides enough information about how data was collected to allow the study to be replicated.

5. Results – Data that was collected is organized and clearly summarized, usually in tables and figures.  Text in the Results section helps to augment what is presented in tables.  Presentation of the data in the results section typically avoids interpretation which is reserved for the Discussion section.

6. Discussion / Conclusion – In this section the author has an opportunity to explain the results in respect to the research questions that were posed at the beginning of the article.  They interpret the results and should explain the meaning and significance of the study, as well as any practical significance of the results.  Authors may also discuss problems they encountered in the study and may provide recommendations for future research.

Your instructor may require that you read or use scholarly articles in your work. Scholarly articles are also known as peer-reviewed, academic, or refereed.  These resources will help you understand the parts of a scholarly article and the most efficient way to read scholarly articles.

• Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

Created by the North Carolina State University Libraries, this tutorial explains the elements of a scholarly article. 

• How to Read Scholarly Articles: The Anatomy of a Scholarly Article 

Courtesy of the Harold Washington Library at the City Colleges of Chicago. This guide outlines the main components of scholarly articles in different disciplines. 

• How to Read a Scholarly Article: Video

From Western University Libraries in London, Ontario. This short video explains the different components of scholarly articles and provides tips about how to effectively read a scholarly article.