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Biology Lab Reports: Reading Scholarly Articles

Primary and Secondary Sources

There are two types of scientific papers that can be classified into primary and secondary sources:

  1. Primary research articles- These contain the original data and conclusions of the researchers who were involved in the experiments. Details about how the experiments were completed are included.
  2. Secondary review articles- These give an overview of the scientific field or topic by summarizing the data and conclusions from many studies. These types of articles are a good starting place for a summary of what has been happening in a field.

Anatomy of a Primary Research Article

Example articles about Lactase

These are pre-selected articles about lactase. They also provide examples of abstracts and different types of diagrams.

Video Reading Scholarly Articles

Sections of a Primary Research Article

Most scientific research articles are divided into distinct, easily recognizable sub-sections. Here are some of the subheadings to look for:

  1. Abstract- summarizes the content. For a primary research article, the abstract highlights the main question(s) the authors investigated, provides the key results of their experiments, and gives an overview of the authors' conclusions.
  2. Introduction-background information about the topic of the paper, and sets out the specific questions to be addressed by the authors. Throughout the introduction, there will be citations for previously published articles or reviews that discuss the same topic. 
  3. Methods and Materials (or Methodology)- what was done
  4. Results- what they found, includes diagrams to illustrate scientific findings and data. Types of diagrams include charts, graphs, tables, and figures.
  5. Discussion- answers questions posed and explains how results support conclusions 
  6. Conclusion- what it all means
  7. References- list of sources used

How to read a scientific article

There are many different techniques to gain an understanding of a scientific journal article as a non-expert. To (seriously) read a scientific article, sometimes it is recommended that you try to read in this order (ADIRM) and take notes:

1. Abstract- read to see if the article is relevant and worth further review

2. Discussion- for more info about the main points

3. Introduction- skim to see the background info

4. Results- review the diagrams

5. Methods- how it was done