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BIOL 110: Biology: Basic Concepts and Biodiversity

How to Read & Use Scholarly Scientific Articles

Primary scientific articles can be difficult to read and understand.  As burgeoning scholars it is vital that you develop reading strategies early on to help you use scientific literature. Click on the links below to learn the common structure of scientific articles and how to navigate them for efficiency and comprehension.

Take a dictionary with you! 

When you are just getting started in a discipline, one of the most difficult things about reading the literature is understanding the language.  Using scientific dictionaries and encyclopedias to look up unfamiliar terms can be hugely helpful. 

Use the resources below to assist you as you read:

Primary Research Articles vs. Review Articles - How can I tell the difference?

Differentiating between original primary research articles and review articles can be a bit tricky.  Both types of articles are considered "scholarly" and appear in peer reviewed journals.  However, it is an essential skill in the sciences to be able to differentiate between the two types of articles.  Below is information to assist you in determining what type of article you are viewing.  

Types of Articles
Article Type Characteristics Examples

Research Article                                                                                                                   

Author(s) present new set of findings from original research after conducting an original experiment.

Typically contains the following distinct sections:

  • Methods (possibly the variation Methods & Materials)
  • Results (including charts, graphs, and statistical tables)
  • Discussion
Sabet, M., Tarazi, Z., Nolan, T., Parkinson, J., Rubio-Aparicio, D., Lomovskaya, O., Dudley, M. N., & Griffith, D. C. (2018). Activity of meropenem-vaborbactam in mouse models of infection due to KPC-producing carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 62(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.01446-17

Review Article

Author(s) analyze and summarize existing research.

Often focus on a general topic and brings together all relevant, useful articles on that topic in one article.

Do not contain sections such as Methods or Results because they did not conduct original research.

References within a review article can help you locate primary research articles on a topic!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Musher, D. M., & Arasaratnam, R. J. (2022). Contributions of animal studies to the understanding of infectious diseases. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 74(10), 1872-1878. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab844