How to Read a Research Article: Part II

This is the second part in a series about understanding research articles. See Part I here.

What is a Research Article?

A research article is one that is published by a peer-reviewed, academic journal. An academic journal is a periodical where researchers publish their work.

Most academic journals are peer-reviewed, meaning that a research article is reviewed by other scholars who do similar work and are qualified to review the article. These individuals critique and evaluate the article, asking questions or offering suggestions to improve the article. The most important aspect of this evaluation is the scientific merit, or asking the question “is this study designed to give quality research results and can those contribute to the knowledge about a particular topic?” It is mainly on this basis that a journal will accept or reject a research article.

Many journals reject more than 50% of the articles that are sent to them, but not always based only on scientific merit (i.e. the research doesn’t fit the readership of the journal). Most times an investigator will go through multiple rounds of review in a single journal or in multiple journals. This peer-review process is meant to ensure that only the best, most clearly written and rigorously research articles are published.

Elements of a Research Article

Title
Now this may seem a little far-fetched but the title of an article can be very informative and therefore, it is important. Additionally, it is the first item that is viewed when the article is read, so it can have a small or great impact on the reader. A good titled can draw someone to read the article while a title that is long and filled with technical jargon may motivate the reader to pass over it. A good title should give insight into what (was done), whom (it was done to) and how (it was done).1 Remember though, that a poorly titled article can still contain quality information.

Abstract
The abstract should provide a brief but complete overview of what the research is about, why it was done (purpose), what was done (methods), how it was done (methods), what was found (results), and what those results mean (conclusion). Reading the abstract is the second element that is read by most individuals. It provides an efficient mode of quickly gaining a general understanding in order to determine if an article suits the reader’s needs.

While an abstract can be used as a tool to quickly identify an appropriate article, it should not be used as a substitute for the entire article. A conclusion in the abstract may not provide adequate context, causing the conclusion to be misinterpreted or over-exaggerated. The abstract is only the appetizer in the meal of an article; the meat and potatoes are in the body of the text.

Introduction
Typically, the introduction will contain the following elements or sub-headers: statement of the problem (rationale), literature review (background), purpose of the study, and hypothesis (expected results). These items are presented in a fashion that begins by making general comments and ends with the most specific comments as the introduction progresses

Statement of the Problem
The statement of the problem (or rationale) tells the reader more than what the problem is. It provides a description of the reasons for conduction the study. This section answers the questions: “Why was this study done?”, “Why is it important?”, and “What was the research question?” An example of this is the need for research to increase physical activity and reduce the problem of obesity. The statement of the problem provides the context for the literature review (background).

Literature Review
The literature review should present what information is available on a particular subject and what has been done by researchers in the past. This allows the author to indicate what has been done (or what is known) and what needs to be done (or needs to be known). This is known as a “gap in knowledge”. The investigators, in doing the particular study, have tried to fill this “gap” with the information obtained. This will lead to the purpose of the study (below). The literature review will also provide readers with in information necessary for conceptual support of the methods.

It should also be noted that this section should contain citations that are not more than 10 years old, and preferably much newer than that. In some cases, very old articles are acceptable because they may be considered “classics”, but these should be few and far between. In addition, the reader should remember that a large number of citations in this section do not necessarily make the article a quality one.

Experienced authors will be easy to recognize because they provide a succinct but informative background for their study that is relatively easy to read. This may be a difficult section for laypeople to get through and can be passed over the first time through and article.

Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is one of the most important elements of a research article and should be described in a direct, clear statement. It should be contained in one or two sentences and the reader should be able to determine its parts (e.g. find the differences between men and women). These parts should relate directly to what was measured and the conclusions that are made in the end. A purpose statement that is not clear may be indicative of a poorly planned or conducted study.

Hypothesis (Expected Results)
While a hypothesis is not always provided, presentation of one is ideal. Basically, the hypothesis is a statement of the researcher’s expected results. The hypothesis is usually made based on past research results or a tentative theory, not the hopes of the researcher or sponsor. While this hypothesis guides the interpretation of outcomes and conclusions, proper statistical analyses should be able to control (to an extent) the investigator’s inherent bias.

The hypothesis is typically formed in a manner that states that the results will be positive or negative. For example, a hypothesis could read, “WBV will increase vertical jump performance in elite athletes.” In case the reader encounters discussion about a “null” hypothesis, this is the concurrent hypothesis that would state, “WBV will have no effect (positive or negative) vertical jump performance in elite athletes.” Using statistics, the investigators can determine which hypothesis was correct.

Next Part: Explaining the Method – how research is carried out.