SOC 1/SOC 4/SOC 6 (Mesmer): Tips for Reading Journal Articles

• They contain articles or reports of primary or original research and data
• The goal is to share the latest research with other scholars and students in the field
• Written by subject experts like professors, scholars, researchers who spend their careers studying their topics
• Many journals are peer-reviewed
• Journals may also include news items, book reviews, letters to the editor, etc so be sure to use the RESEARCH ARTICLES
• Full-text articles can be found in library databases

Peer review is the process of submitting drafts of articles for critical assessment by experts in the field or discipline before articles are accepted for publication in scholarly journals.  The peer-review process helps ensure the quality of information that is published in that field.

Research articles have a formal structure that allows you to move from section to section easily. The key to effective reading of research articles is to use this formal structure to your advantage.

• Tip 1. Do not read the article sequentially from first page to last. This will only get you bogged down in the details, and make it difficult to make overall sense of it.
• Tip 2. Do read the following sections in order: abstract, introduction, discussion, and any tables and graphs.

From: Sociology 100 How to Read a Research Article from Dakota State University

Scholarly journal articles in sociology often follow a standard format known as IMRAD. By understanding what the IMRAD format is and what each of the sections contains, you can navigate the article more easily. Besides the basic article info such as abstract, author's name and  their affiliation, and article title references to sources, the main sections are:

INTRODUCTION

1. provides research question being addressed
2. explains the significance
3. reviews background or known information on the topic

METHODS

1. describes the  methods that were used in conducting the research, case study, or experiment
2. explains the sources of information, both primary and secondary

RESULTS

1. describes what was found out from the case study, research, or experiment.
2. includes the actual data gathered, sometimes presented in charts and graphs

AND

DISCUSSION

1. explains the significance of the results and findings
2. describes how the results support the thesis or the research question described in the introduction
3. discusses the limitations of the research, what more needs to be in the field for greater understanding