Please note: this online workshop is NOT available for Think/Achieve credit.

How to Read a Scholarly Article

Watch this short video to learn about identifying characteristics of scholarship, commonly used sections, and strategies for tackling difficult reading.

You don’t have to read the entire article in order!

FIRST- Read the Abstract

If the Abstract fits within the scope of your research, read more. If it doesn't, don't bother reading the article.

NEXT- Jump down to the Discussion & Conclusions

This is the essential part of the article; it will tell you what the researchers learned.

THEN- Read the Introduction & Literature review

This will give you background and context.

FINALLY- Read the other sections.

TIP: Don’t forget to look at the References at the end. They can be helpful for building your own bibliography.

Take notes as you go. If you find a quote, write it down with the author's last name and page number that it came from. 

Think critically as you read:

• What is already known about the this topic?
• Do you agree with what the author is saying?
• Does what the author says agree with other information you have found on this topic?

Practice reading scholarly articles from different disciplines:

Article Title: is it long and descriptive? 

Author(s): what are the author's credentials? Are they affiliated with a university or research center?

Article Length: is the article at least 5 pages?

Sections: does the article have sections like Abstract, Introduction, Methods, and Conclusions?

References: is there lengthy reference list at the end of the article?

Abstract: concise summary of the research, including purpose, results & implications.

Introduction & Literature Review: Describes problem, importance of research, and previous research on the topic.

Methods: procedures or methods used to carry out research. Varies by discipline.

Results: Data collected as a result of research. Typically given in statistics and in form of tables, charts, and graphs.

Discussion: Summary of results. Implications and directions for future reserach.

References: Works cited in the paper. Useful to find relevant articles.