Check if a result is worth your time before you read it. Use clues in the database or search engine to decide if you should read it.
A research article describes an original study that the author(s) conducted themselves. It will include a brief literature review, but the main focus of the article is to describe the theoretical approach, methods, and results of the authors' own study.
Look at the abstract or full text of the journal article and look for the following:
Research articles use a standard format to clearly communicate information about an experiment. A research article usually has 7 major sections:
A research article has a hypothesis, a method for testing the hypothesis, a population on which the hypothesis was tested, results or findings, and a discussion or conclusion.
Review articles summarize the current state of research on a subject by organizing, synthesizing, and critically evaluating the relevant literature. They tell what is currently known about an area under study and place what is known in context. This allows the researcher to see how their particular study fits into a larger picture.
Review articles are NOT original research articles. Instead, they are a summary of many other original research articles. When your teacher tells you to obtain an "original research article"or to use a primary source, do not use an article that says review.
Review articles may include a bibliography that will lead you back to the primary research reported in the article.
Check out the example of a PubMed record below. This example has certain terms circled to highlight information that you'll want to look for when you're evaluating an article.
Tips to Remember:
