Reading the sections of an article following the typical article outline can be overwhelming. There is no one best way to read an article, but below is a suggested order for reading the sections of a paper so that you can get the most information out of an article.
|
Typical Article Outline |
Suggested Article Reading Outline |
| Abstract | Abstract |
| Introduction | Introduction |
| Method | Conclusion |
| Results | Discussion |
| Discussion | Results |
| Conclusion | Method |
| References | References |
Abstract – Brief sumarry of the article
Introduction – Explains the purpose of the research and summarizes/comments on previous research
Methods – Tells you what equipment and materials were used and explains step by step the experiment conducted.
Results – Explains what was observed during the experiment/study. This is where the data collected is found.
Discussion/Conclusion – Contains the conclusions that the author would like to draw from the data. The interpretation of the data occurs here.