Understanding the Sections

Reading a scientific article for the first time requires us to think about what information each section is providing us with and what information we need to get out of the paper.  Often, the best way to tackle the paper is not in the order in which the information is presented.  We recommend that you start by finding meaning in the title and getting a general sense of the article from the abstract.  Then read the introduction, results, and discussion.  In the results, pay particular attention to the tables and figures.  Finally, go back and read the methods.  One of the best ways to fully understand an article is to discuss it with others.  You will have multiple opportunities to practice this in lab.

Title

  • Should provide you with a brief description of the topic of the paper.
  • This provides you with your first window into what the paper is investigating.  If you are looking for articles to cite in your own paper, consider the title first in evaluating the relevance.

Abstract

  • Usually appears at beginning of article.
  • Provides overview of the paper by summarizing each of the major sections of the paper.
  • Use this section to help you get a general understanding of what the experiment was.  If you are selecting articles to use as references in your own paper, the abstract will help you evaluate whether the paper addresses your topic of interest and is worth reading in full.

Introduction

  • Identifies the broad area of interest/theoretical background.
  • Explains the relevance of their work to prior studies.
  • Indicates the motivation for doing the experiment. Addresses the question “Why?”
  • Provides information about the research questions they plan to address and hypotheses they posed about the outcome.
  • Reading the introduction provides you with background and justification for the study as well as what the authors expected their outcome to be.

Methods

  • Describes experimental design and specific procedures.
  • Indicates statistical tests used to evaluate the data.
  • Reading the methods will be particularly useful if you want to use similar methods in your own experiment.  It also provides you with a means to think critically about whether the methods the authors chose appropriately test the question they posed.

Results

  • Gives a complete description of the findings.
  • Includes figures and tables that provide information about results.
  • Reading this section allows you to explore the findings of the study.  Paying particular attention to figures and tables will help you identify what the authors found important.

Discussion

  • Explains how the authors interpret their data and contextualizes their findings by drawing connections to the literature on the topic.
  • Often focuses on what the authors deem as the most important components of the results.
  • Read this to determine what findings the authors identified as most important and how it relates to the broader picture.
  • Be thoughtful as you read this section, considering whether their assertions make sense in light of their results and whether you think their interpretation makes sense.

Literature Cited

  • A list of the literature cited within the article.
  • Use this section to identify other articles that will provide you with more information about your topic of interest.  As you encounter reference to articles of interest in reading the introduction and discussion sections, you may wish to star them so that you can then find them in the literature cited section and then look them up.