How+to+read+a+Research+Article

= H ow to R ead a R esearch S tudy A rticle= //Use this information...//
 * 1) //as a checklist - does the article have these sections?//
 * 2) //as a tool to help you better understand the content of the article//

** Know the structure of a research study article. **
A research study article will consistently contain the following sections **Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and References.** Some section names may change slightly, e.g. Methods might be Research Methods or Methodology. If you don’t find these sections in a journal article, then you don’t have a research study article.

**ABSTRACT**
Summary of the key points of the article: the purpose of the study and a hypothesis, the methodology used, who was studied, and the findings. Read this first, but don’t rely on it solely to draw conclusions about the study.

INTRODUCTION
Contains a survey of the relevant background for a study, a context for the study, and the hypothesis (i.e. the specific predictions to be tested). It will also usually contain a review of prior studies related to the same topic.

METHODS
Describes the approach taken in the study. This section provides detailed information about the research instrument used, (e.g. questionnaire), subjects (e.g. women between the ages of 50 and 70), procedures, and the approach to data analysis.

RESULTS
Data is summarized in this section, and relationships among variables and/or differences among groups are reported. These analyses should directly reflect the predictions originally described in the Introduction. Further comparisons may also be included to clarify findings or to explore unanticipated findings.

**DISCUSSION**
Results are summarized in narrative form as opposed to statistics or numbers. The ways in which the study’s results coincide with the hypothesis and previous studies will also be discussed, as well as suggestions for the need for further studies on the topic.