Critically Evaluating Sources
How to Read a Scholarly Article
When deciding what sources to include in your research, you must first read the article at hand. Reading a scholarly article is not always a linear process; there are other efficient ways to read a scholarly article, such as in this video!
Script from 0:00 to 1:48 minutes: Scholarly journal articles often contain different sections, including an abstract, introduction, literature review, main body, discussion, conclusion, and bibliography and/or references. However, in order to save time and understand what the author is trying to say more quickly, it’s more efficient to hop around the article in a different order.
Start with the abstract. An abstract is like a menu description that tells you what to expect from the article.
Next, jump down to the end of the article and read the discussion and conclusion. These sections sum up the article. Reading the end of a journal article early won’t spoil it for you; it will help you decide whether you want to commit to the article and invest any more time in reading the whole thing.
At this point, if the article seems like it might be relevant, hop back to the beginning of the article and read the introduction. The introduction will reveal how the author is planning to approach the subject.
By now, you should have a good feel for what the article is about, and you will find that the body of the article will include the finer details of the research. This section of the article may be organized by headings such as “methodology”, “results”, and “data”.
The literature review section helps to position this new research into an existing context by revealing the other research that has been published on the topic.
At this point, if you still think that the article is relevant to your research, re-read the entire article a second time in chronological order. Reading the article twice will ensure that you have a full understanding of the article and the author’s message.
Note: other parts of this video may be outdated and not fit the context of the current tutorials present.
I’m Done Evaluating My Source! Or Am I?
Reading a resource is only one part of your evaluation process. You will not just be parsing through one article during your research process, but several of them over the course of a project or assignment. Analyzing all the sources you are using in a responsible and critical way will best help you fulfill your research needs and questions.
Why Do We Need to Evaluate Our Sources?
Our role during any research process is to research both responsibly and critically. As technology evolves, so does the process of finding sources and information. Nowadays, finding an answer to a question seems easier than ever! But ensuring that the quality, representation, and impact of those answers we receive are not harmful or inaccurate takes a large precedence in our work.
What does this mean for your own research process?
The content in these chapters, as well other correlating content and resources provided within our “As You Research” series, highlights some barriers and considerations you may keep in mind while you search and evaluate information.
