how do you identify a research paper

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Scholarly Articles: How can I tell?

Journal Information
Literature Review
Author and affiliation
Introduction
Specialized Vocabulary

Methodology

Research sponsors
Peer-review

The methodology section or methods section tells you how the author(s) went about doing their research. It should let you know a) what method they used to gather data (survey, interviews, experiments, etc.), why they chose this method, and what the limitations are to this method.

The methodology section should be detailed enough that another researcher could replicate the study described. When you read the methodology or methods section:

What kind of research method did the authors use? Is it an appropriate method for the type of study they are conducting?
How did the authors get their tests subjects? What criteria did they use?
What are the contexts of the study that may have affected the results (e.g. environmental conditions, lab conditions, timing questions, etc.)
Is the sample size representative of the larger population (i.e., was it big enough?)
Are the data collection instruments and procedures likely to have measured all the important characteristics with reasonable accuracy?
Does the data analysis appear to have been done with care, and were appropriate analytical techniques used?

A good researcher will always let you know about the limitations of their research.

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Last Updated: Nov 14, 2024 12:40 PM
URL: https://guides.library.oregonstate.edu/ScholarlyArticle

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APA style guide

How to Find Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

How to Identify a Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed Journal Article

Peer Review & Academic/Scholarly Journals
Finding Academic/Scholarly Journal Articles in Library Databases

Terms & Definitions

Scholar: A highly educated specialist who conducts research in a particular branch of study.

Periodical: A type of publication produced as an open-ended series at regular intervals, or “periods,” such as daily, monthly, quarterly or annually.

Scholarly/Academic Journal: A type of periodical that includes original research articles written by researchers and experts in a particular academic discipline, providing a forum for the production and critique of knowledge.

Research Article: A formally written article that describes new knowledge or ideas based on original research, analysis and/or interpretation.

Peer Review: The process by which scholars critically evaluate each other's research article before publication in an academic journal.

Editor: An individual who reviews, corrects, and determines the final content of a publication.

Scholarly Communication: "The system through which research and other scholarly writings are created, evaluated for quality, disseminated to the scholarly community, and preserved for future use. The system includes both formal means of communication, such as publication in peer-reviewed journals, and informal channels, such as electronic listservs" (ACRL)

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Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles will have most of the characteristics listed below. Ask yourself these questions and look at the article to check if the way it looks and is written indicates it is a reliable, accurate source: