SCI: Science Through Inquiry

Do not be a passive reader.  Actively read articles by engaging the information.

Before/during reading ask yourself about:

• authorship
  • Who is the author? What is the journal the article is from? Are they credible?
• terminology
  • What does that word mean? (Look it up! Use a dictionary to help understand unfamiliar words.)
• your understanding 
  • Do I understand what the author is saying?  What is still confusing?

After reading ask yourself:

• What is the research question for the paper?  Why is it important?
• Did the author(s) use good methodology?
• What are the findings? Why do they matter?
• Was supporting evidence used?  Was it persuasive?
• Did the author miss anything? Is there a different explanation?
• Is further research needed?
• How does this relate to the other articles I am reading on this subject?

Adapted from: Purugganan, Mary, and Jan Hewitt. "How to read a scientific article." Rice University (2004).

Skim the article and identify its structure.

Again, do not read the article like a book.  Begin by looking the article over and identifying the sections.

Most scholarly journals articles follow a pattern. You can expect this patten in almost every scholarly article you read.

• Abstract
  • The abstract is a short summary of the article. Read the abstract first.  Reading the abstract will save you time and effort because you will be able to identify if the article will help you with your research in a single paragraph. The abstract is the readers glimpse into the main ideas of the article.  
  • Do not cite the abstract in your paper, your citations should come directly from the text.
• Introduction
  • The introduction puts forward the research question that the article attempts to answer.
  • Introductions provide background information for the reader so that they can better understand the article.  Introductions also serve to capture the interest of the reader in the topic(s) to be discussed.
• Methods
  • In the methods section, the authors explain their methodology for the experiment or research based on the research question. This includes the design of the experiment in detail. The method section often uses technical language that may be difficult to understand.   
• Results 
  • The result section provides what the authors found out by doing the experiment or research.
• Discussion
  • The discussion section puts the results into the larger context of the work. Here the authors discuss how their findings compare to other findings. The answer to the research question is found in the discussion section.
• Conclusion
  • The conclusion states what it all means. 
• References
  • The authors list all the works that they used to to preform the experiment or research and to write the article. These works are listed by a citation format usually MLA, APA, or another format that your professor supplies.
  • You can use the references listed to find more sources for your own research.

Follow this tutorial from Purdue University on why and how to read scientific articles.

 Parts adapted from: Purugganan, Mary, and Jan Hewitt. "How to read a scientific article." Rice University (2004).

Take notes as you read.

Note taking improves recall and comprehension. Develop a way to take notes and organize your thoughts.

Take notes on:

• The complete citation for the article
• If accessed through the web the URL and date accessed
• Keywords from the article
• General and specific subjects covered
• Hypothesis/thesis for the article
• Methodology
• Result(s)
• Discussion/context
• Summary of key points
• How it relates to other sources from your research
• Cited references to follow up on 

Adapted from: Purugganan, Mary, and Jan Hewitt. "How to read a scientific article." Rice University (2004).

Identify the main points in the paper.

Look at the headings and sub-headings as they help you determine what are the main points (headings) and subordinate points (sub-headings) in the paper.

Look for keywords and phrases.  Words like "we propose," "I intend," "the data suggests," etc.  Phrases like these indicate that something important is about to follow.

Adapted from: Purugganan, Mary, and Jan Hewitt. "How to read a scientific article." Rice University (2004).

Make evidence-based assumptions.

Rely on what you already know and have experienced to draw inferences from the material. Make observations as you read. Use: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? to guide your observations. Connect your observations to make an inference.

Adapted from: Purugganan, Mary, and Jan Hewitt. "How to read a scientific article." Rice University (2004).