Scholarly articles are usually structured with specific components such as a literature review, methods section, and references. To learn more and see examples of how this looks, click the link below.
Types of Articles
When researching, you will encounter many different types of articles. Here are a few examples to be aware of.
Librarian Tip: Peer Review is a process by which articles are reviewed by other scholars or experts in the field before being accepted for publication. Look out for "Peer Reviewed" filters in databases and the catalog to narrow your results to these types of articles.
Scientific research takes time and in many cases is measuring very specific variables and the exploratory studies usually need confirmation from further research. In addition to this, media often times misrepresents "conclusions." With all of this in mind, it is important to see that drawing concrete conclusions from only one study and citing news sources in your work can be problematic.
To help you better understand and cite the science:
Remember: Doing research in the sciences isn't about finding the results that best match your thesis; it is about finding the facts.
For more information check out these articles:
For more information on conducting studies with human subjects watch this video:
Utilizing the best research and evidence to support decision making or claims made in the field. Also referred to as Evidence Based Medicine when specifically applied to the Medical Sciences.
Be Aware
Different fields of study might have different criteria for what is acceptable to use as a source. Not sure if your professor thinks a source will be valid? Ask them! Not sure how to evaluate a source? Ask us!
Learn more about evaluating different types of sources (including news).
Use these tips to evaluate the websites of organizations. Keep in mind that these are only a starting point and not guaranteed to be failsafe in every situation.