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NUTR 10 Hobbs: Reviewing Scholarly Journal Articles

Nutrition

Scholarly vs. Popular Periodicals

Vanderbilt University, Peabody Library (3:12)

Examples

Anatomy of a Scholarly Journal Article in the Sciences & Social Sciences

The table below describes the components of scholarly articles in the Social Sciences and Sciences. The majority of articles in these disciplines will have the sections listed below.

Abstract Brief summary of the article, including research question, methodology and results.
Introduction Background information about the topic, leading up to why this study is being done, and may include a brief literature review.
Methods Description of how the study procedures, set-up and how data was collected.
Results/Findings Presentation of the data from the study. This section often includes tables, charts, or other visualizations of the data.
Discussion Analysis of the data and how the study relates to existing knowledge of the topic. The authors evaluate whether their results answer their research question. 
Conclusion The authors wrap up the article by discussion how their study contributes to the research on this topic and outline future  potential research questions or studies. 
References List of resources that the authors consulted when developing their research and subsequently cited in their article.

How to Read a Scientific Article

USU Libraries (2:11)