Information For Readers

At first glance, a journal article might appear intimidating for some or confusing for others with its tables and graphs. Reading a research article can be a frustrating experience, especially for the one who has not mastered the art of reading scientific literature. Just like there is a method to extract a tooth or prepare a cavity, one can also learn to read research articles by following a systematic approach. Most scientific articles are organized as follows:

  1. Title: Topic and information about the authors.
  2. Abstract: Brief overview of the article.
  3. Introduction: Background information and statement of the research hypothesis.
  4. Methods: Details of how the study was conducted, procedures followed, instruments used and variables measured.
  5. Results: All the data of the study along with figures, tables and/or graphs.
  6. Discussion: The interpretation of the results and implications of the study.
  7. References/Bibliography: Citations of sources from where the information was obtained.

Review articles do not usually follow the above pattern, unless they are systematic reviews or meta-analysis. 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. If the article does not have an abstract, read the conclusions or the summary at the end of the article first. After reading the abstract or conclusions, if the reader deems it is interesting or useful, then the entire article can be read.