Dissecting a Scholarly Article
Not all articles that are marked as "peer reviewed" in the library databases are scholarly, so you will need to be able to identify one:
- Title: what the article is about
- Authors and affiliations: the writer of the article and the professional affiliations. The credentials may appear below the name or in a footnote.
- Abstract: a summary of the article
- Introduction: An overview of the topic, why the study was done, and the authors hypothesis
- Methods: How the research was done, in enough detail that the research could be repeated.
- Results: the research findings. Look for tables, charts and graphs.
- Discussion or Conclusion: the author's interpretation of the results, and what they thought was significant.
- References / Cited Works: a list of the works cited in the article
Scholarly Articles vs Magazine and Newspapers
| Criteria | Scholarly (Primary) Journal | Popular (secondary) Magazine |
|---|---|---|
| Sample Cover |  |
 |
| Audience | Academics and professionals | General Public |
| Authors | Experts or specialists in the field. Unpaid | Paid authors |
| Review process | Peer review process. Unpaid. | Professional editors. Paid |
| Content | Research published by the researchers. Written for experts in the field: not easy to read. | Research summarized in a newspaper or magazine. Easy to read. |
| References | Almost always | Rarely |
Source: NCSU Libraries
