Reading academic articles can be tricky and time-consuming. However, there are some strategies that can help you find the information you need efficiently.
First, let’s learn about the different sections of articles, before seeing how we can apply active reading to the process.
Academic article sections
Here are some of the sections commonly found in academic articles and a description of the information that they contain:
Title: Provides information about the contents of the article.
Abstract: Contains a complete overview of what the research is about, what was done, how it was done, what was found and what the results mean.
Introduction: Often provides a brief review of previous research, a rationale (reason) for the research, and an outline of the research aims. Knowledge about this structure will help you read it efficiently.
Methodology: Describes the methods used to carry out the research.
Results: This section describes the findings. (Sometimes the results and discussion sections are combined.)
Discussion: Contains an interpretation of what the results mean in terms of the original research question or hypothesis, and in the field.
Conclusion: This is a discussion of the meaning and implications of the research. It may also detail the implications of the research and make recommendations for changes to policy and practice directions or directions for further research.
References: A list of the literature on which the research was based.
Reading strategies for academic articles
The principles of active reading can be applied to academic articles.
Think about why you are reading the article.
Key texts
If the article is a key text that you need to understand thoroughly, then you might start by surveying the text — reading the article title, finding out about the author, looking at the heading titles and checking out any visual elements such as graphs and charts.
While you read, remember to think critically. Just because you are reading an academic article, it does not mean that you must agree with everything theory or idea expressed in it. Consider whether the information is credible, whether the research has been carried out in an effective way and if the conclusions drawn from the research are logical.
Searching for specific information
This is where skimming and scanning will come in handy.
Before you start reading, decide what information you are looking for — list down any key words, terms or numerical data that you would like to search for.
Next, quickly read through the articles content, stopping when you find a key word or anything that you feel may be relevant. Then, read the text surrounding the key word or information carefully while taking notes.
Searching for general information
When searching for general information, many students start by reading the title of the article and the abstract. From this, they are often able to tell if the article will contain information that is useful to them.
If it doesn't, then they can move on to the next article without having lost time reading something that is not relevant.
If they believe the article does contain relevant information for their assignment, then they move on to reading the introduction for more information on the purpose of the article, followed by the discussion and/or conclusion sections. These sections will provide an interpretation of the results and summarise the main points.
