How to Comprehend Scientific Articles
How to read Scientific Articles
Finding main points
Taking effective notes
Structure of Scientific Articles
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Methods
- Results
5.Discussion
Order:
- Abstract
- Discussion
- Introduction
- Results
- Methods
Scientific articles can be lengthy; therefore, this order allows for ease in deciding if the article is relevant or interesting
Abstracts Contain 4 sections:
- Purpose of Study
- Methodology
- Results
- Conclusion
- Summary of the paper
Discission:
- Clearly answers the questions posed in the intro
- Explains how the results support the conclusions
- Identify implications of results for future research.
Introduction
- Stimulate Interest
- Puts the article in large context
- Usually flows from general to specific statements to arrive at a focused question.
- Contains the relevant background information
Methods
- What experiments were done
- Can be difficult to read due to technical language and details
Results
- States what the authors found
- Key data in the form of figures and tables
Questions to ask after reading each section, before moving on to the next.
Methods:
- Does the setup of the experiment create any inconsistencies that may cause bias in the results?
Discussion: Do I understand and believe the author's claims?
Abstract: Is the article worth reading?
Introduction: Why did the researchers do this study?
Does the research question match up with the conclusions I found in the discussion?
Results: Is the data collected, appropriate to answer the research question and does it support the conclusion?
Key places to look
- Title
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Figure and Table Titles
- First and last sentences of the introduction
Key words and phrases
- We hypothesize that
- We propose
- We introduce
Try making an standardized note template
Benefits
- Saves time since the placement for each piece of information is defined
Allows for quick comparisons between research articles
- Saves time re-reading articles
Key information to glean from the articles
- The overall purpose of the research
- The general experimental/study approach
- The key results
- The significance of the work
Utilize checklists and keep track of key contents of the paper as you read
Write down your questions as you read and do further research into concepts or words you do not understand