What Should I Look For When Reading A Research Article?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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  • Begin by reading the introduction, not the abstract. …
  • Identify the big question. …
  • Summarize the background in five sentences or less. …
  • Identify the specific question(s). …
  • Identify the approach. …
  • Read the methods section. …
  • Read the results section.

What is the most important step when reading research articles?

The cardinal rule is: Never start reading an article from the beginning to the end. It is better to begin by

identifying the conclusions of the study by reading the title and the abstract

. [12] If the article does not have an abstract, read the conclusions or the summary at the end of the article first.

How do you analyze a research article?

  1. Describe the article briefly and explain it to the reader what the article is about. …
  2. Identify the purpose of the author or a reason why the author believes that a topic of research is relevant and important.

How do you read and evaluate a research article?

  1. Read the Abstract. It consists of a brief summary of the research questions and methods. …
  2. Read the Introduction. …
  3. Read the Discussion section. …
  4. Read the Methods section. …
  5. Read the Results section.

How do you know if an article is good for research?

  • What is the study saying? …
  • Was it properly designed? …
  • Was it peer-reviewed? …
  • Is it in a quality journal? …
  • Did the researchers disclose their conflicts of interest?

How do you read an article effectively?

  1. Read the Abstract First.
  2. Stop Reading the article if it Doesn’t make Sense.
  3. Scan before you Read.
  4. Always read the Literature Review.
  5. You Probably Don’t want to read the Methodology.
  6. Jump to the Conclusion.
  7. If it’s a Set Reading, Take Notes – Even if you Don’t Understand it.

What should a research problem include?

A research problem is a statement about an area of concern,

a condition to be improved

, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or in practice that points to the need for meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation.

How do you evaluate an article?

  1. Authority/authorship.
  2. Currency/timeliness.
  3. Coverage/relevance.
  4. Purpose/audience.
  5. Accuracy/documentation.
  6. Objectivity/thoroughness.

How do you evaluate an article example?

  1. persuade the reader to do something? For example: vote a certain way, purchase an item, attend an event.
  2. inform the reader? For example: results of a study/experiment, what happened at an event.
  3. prove something? For example: that a behavior is bad/good, a method works/doesn’t work.

What makes an article high quality?

The research question as well as the aim of the article

should be clear and easy to understand

. Have the study limitations been mentioned? The paper should mention the limitations of the study or arguments that can be made against their point to give the reader a balanced view of both sides.

How can I read articles faster?

  1. Be selective and tune into your intention. …
  2. Don’t get too comfortable. …
  3. Preview information. …
  4. Focus on keywords. …
  5. Try the indenting method. …
  6. Stop subvocalizing. …
  7. Use your finger as a guide. …
  8. Try the magic white card trick.

What is the fastest way to read a journal article?

  1. Skim the abstract. Skimming the abstract first will allow you to get somewhat familiar with the topic at hand. …
  2. Read the conclusion. …
  3. After the conclusion, read the results. …
  4. Read the methods section. …
  5. Start this process over again with a different paper.

How do I know if I am reading an article?

On the periodical’s website, read about its purpose, audience and topics (look for an “about” or “scope” link). Remember that

peer-reviewed journals

will always state that they are peer-reviewed.

What do you know about reading?

Reading is defined as

a cognitive process that involves decoding symbols to arrive at meaning

. Reading is an active process of constructing meanings of words. Reading with a purpose helps the reader to direct information towards a goal and focuses their attention. … Reading is a thinking process.

What are the five elements of research problem?

  • Objective or aim of the problem which is to be investigated. …
  • The topic or theme which needs to be investigated. …
  • The time dimension of a decision problem is always the future. …
  • The area or location in which the study is to be conducted. …
  • Population or universe from whom the data needs to be gathered.

What are the five sources of research problems?

The following sources are discussed in succ (i) specialization,

(2) instructional program pursued, reading, (4) analysis of an area of knowledge

, (5) con existing practices and needs, (6) repetition or extensi tions, and (7) “offshoots” of studies under way.

What are the characteristics of a good research?

Good research is

replicable, reproducible, and transparent

. Replicability, reproducibility, and transparency are some of the most important characteristics of research. The replicability of a research study is important because this allows other researchers to test the study’s findings.

What are the common mistakes that authors commit while writing a research article?

  1. Lack of research before choosing a thesis statement. …
  2. Lack of a strong thesis statement. …
  3. Failure to make appropriate connections between the thesis statement and supporting statements. …
  4. Lack of strong, relevant data to support statements.

What are the 4 main criteria when evaluating resources?

Evaluate sources of information by examining them for

authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage

.

What makes a good academic article?

Characteristics of Scholarly Articles and Journals

Articles are written by

an authority or expert in the field

. The language includes specialized terms and the jargon of the discipline. … Usually have a narrow or specific subject focus. Contains original research, experimentation, or in-depth studies in the field.

What makes an article good or bad?

Writing a good article requires two things:

good content and good technique

. … Good technique is harder — it can seem abstract and nuanced, and it’s often the thing that makes or breaks an article. A weak article falls flat. A strong article changes minds, gains followers, carries weight, demands respect.

What are the qualities of a research article that makes it publishable?

  • Only articles that are profoundly theoretical and/or have groundbreaking findings get published. …
  • Only articles with lots of interesting ideas get published. …
  • Only articles that are entirely original get published.

How do I know what type of article I am reading?

The best way to identify this would be

to go through the entire paper

. If it is an original research paper, it will follow the IMRaD structure and will include a hypothesis, background study, methods, results, interpretation of findings, and a discussion of possible implications.

Why can’t I understand what I read?


Reading comprehension disorder

is a reading disability in which a person has trouble understanding the meaning of words and passages of writing. … If your child is able to read a passage out loud but can’t tell you much about it afterward, they might have specific reading comprehension deficit.

Why do I read slowly?

It is usually

during childhood that we form bad reading habits that we carry on to our adulthood

. This contributes to why some people are slow readers. One of the earliest ways children learn how to read is through subvocalization. This is when you read the words that you hear out loud in your head.

How do you retain what you read?

  1. Quit More Books. It doesn’t take long to figure out if something is worth reading. …
  2. Choose Books You Can Use Instantly. …
  3. Create Searchable Notes. …
  4. Combine Knowledge Trees. …
  5. Write a Short Summary. …
  6. Surround the Topic. …
  7. Read It Twice.

What are the five components of reading?

  • Phonemic awareness. Phonemes are the smallest units making up spoken language. …
  • Phonics. …
  • Vocabulary development. …
  • Reading fluency, including oral reading skills. …
  • Reading comprehension strategies.

What are the 7 strategies of reading?

To improve students’ reading comprehension, teachers should introduce the seven cognitive strategies of effective readers:

activating, inferring, monitoring-clarifying, questioning, searching-selecting, summarizing, and visualizing-organizing

.

How long should it take to read a research paper?

Do plan to spend anywhere from

3–6 hours to

really digest a paper, remember they are very dense! Be ready and willing to make several passes through the paper, each time looking to extract different information and understanding. And please, do yourself a favor and do not read the paper front to end on your first pass.

What are the features of reading?

  • Phonics. Phonics is the process of mapping the sounds in words to written letters. …
  • Phonemic awareness. Children develop phonemic awareness by learning about sounds (phonemes), syllables and words. …
  • Vocabulary. …
  • Fluency. …
  • Reading comprehension.
Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.