Anatomy of a Scholarly Article
Scholarly articles generally have the following components.
- Citation Information : Author(s), Year, Article Title, Journal Title, vol, issue, pages, https://doi.org.
- Author Affiliations: Information about the author to determine their authority on the topic.
- Abstract: Brief summary of the article.
- Introduction: Beginning of the full article. Includes thesis statement and why the research is being conducted.
- Literature Review: Discusses the previously published research on the topic which has lead to this research study.
- Method/Methodology: Explains how the research was completed for this research study.
- Results: Explains the findings of the study.
- Data: Tables, charts, graphs which show the results of the study.
- Conclusion: Summary of findings in from the study and explanation of why this research is significant. May also include recommendations for future research.
- References: list of all sources cited in the article. Can include articles, books, and other sources.
When evaluating an article, also look for information about the Review Process.
Helps to identify if an article has gone through a review process before being published. You may need to look at the About page or Author Guidelines page of the actual Journal.
- Look to see if they journal mentions a review board and or Peer Review process.
- Peer Review means the article has been evaluated by professionals in the field prior to publication.