Early College Experience (ECE) Guide — Reading and Interpreting Sources

What might you find in a scholarly article? Click on the image to learn more. 

Title: what the article is about

Authors and affiliations: the writer of the article and the professional affiliations. The credentials may appear below the name or in a footnote.

Abstract: brief summary of the article. Gives you a general understanding before you read the whole thing.

Introduction: general overview of the research topic or problem

Literature Review: what others have found on the same topic

Methods: information about how the authors conducted their research

Results: key findings of the author's research

Discussion/Conclusion: summary of the results or findings

References: Citations to publications by other authors mentioned in the article

Scientific articles follow a common structure description/overview.

"How to Read a Scientific Paper"
Science Buddies

This guide is intended for ECE students and college undergraduates who have a strong background in science working on independent research projects. Explains why scientific papers are important to read, their different types, how to read them, and their primary parts.

"How to Read a Scientific Article"
Mary Purugganan, Ph.D. & Jan Hewitt, Ph.D.
Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication

This helpful article outlines the key pieces of a scientific article and how reading it differs from other sources like textbooks or literature. It helps you frame the process of reading a scientific article and the ways you might use that information in your own research.

This method was created to help you think about different sources and how you might put them all together for your final product.

Background Sources

• Sources accepted as unquestionable fact, undisputed information
• Examples: dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference materials

Exhibits or Evidence Sources

• Sources used for explication, analysis, or interpretation
• Examples: often primary sources like newspapers, primary research articles, data

Argument  Sources

• Sources from other authors you are agreeing with, disagreeing with, or building upon
• Examples: scholarly articles or books

Method Sources

• Sources an author follows to determine how they are doing their research. Key terms, a specific procedure, model or perspective
• Examples: textbooks, literature reviews with commentary on research

Bizup, Joseph. "BEAM: A Rhetorical Vocabulary for Teaching Research-Based Writing." Rhetoric Review 27, no. 1 (2008): 72-86. doi:10.1080/07350190701738858