Wait...how do I read this stuff?
Here are a few tips about reading those scholarly articles you found. Most important? Remember reading front to back is for novels and mysteries! Don't be afraid to read out of order.
- Label the article parts
- Start with the abstract—it should unlock the rest of the article
- Read back to front.
- Figure out what they found out first, then figure out how they got there
- If the graphs don’t make sense, ignore them and read their explanation of the graphs instead.
- Look up words you don't know
- Summarize as you read--it saves time.
What sections of an article have what?
Abstract
Summary/Overview of the article
Introduction
Summary/Overview of the article
Literature Review
Unique aspect of the study
Methods
Methods
Participants in the study
Results
Results
Discussion
Discussion
Limitations
Conclusion
Future implications
References