Libguides How To Read A Scholarly Article Key Reading Strategies

Leo Migdal

-Oct 27, 2025, 12:46 AM

libguides how to read a scholarly article key reading strategies

Skipping around is encouraged when reading a scholarly article: Skimming these sections first will allow you to quickly determine if the article is relevant to your research and if you should do an in-depth reading. The abstract previews the entire article, makes it easier to judge whether it is relevant. Learn more about the topic of study and what the authors learned through their research. Applies to both sciences and humanities: Adapted from: https://libguides.valdosta.edu/reading-scholarly-articles

This session looks at two standards that will help you to evaluate online resources and become a critical thinker! 1. The ABC’s of Information Evaluation (online journals) 2. The 5W’s of Website Evaluation (websites) The Library, Technological University of the Shannon Reading scholarly articles can be a difficult task.

Scholars have done their research and written up their results for many reasons, but not for many audiences. Although you as a student need to use the articles in your assignment, they were not written specifically for you. (No offense). The fact is, these scholars are experts in their field writing for other experts. They are using specialized language that can be difficult for someone new to understand. So, you can sit down with an article and start reading, but you may become discouraged pretty quickly.

The tips below are to help you read scholarly articles STRATEGICALLY. These tips can help you approach a scholarly text for easier reading and better understanding. Read the Abstract first. The Abstract will preview the entire article, makes it easier to judge whether it is relevant. Titles can only tell you so much about the content of the article. The Abstract acts as a preview for the entire article, including the methods and results.

By reading the Abstract first, you can get a better idea of what the article is actually about, if it relates to what you are researching, and whether it is worth your time to... It's okay to skip around in a scholarly article. If the article looks to be useful for your purposes then you can read it from the beginning to end. While you are reading, reflect on how the article relates to what you want to write about or research. Take notes.

Interact with the article. How do the ideas or information presented relate to what you want to write about? If the article is relevant after you've read through it, consider reading it again. References can be a very useful resource. Be sure to skim the titles in the References section. You could find another scholarly article you want to read.

Jump Around It's okay to skip around in a scholarly article. Start by skimming the abstract, introduction, conclusion, and look at images or data representations. If the article looks to be useful for your purposes, read it from the beginning to end. Keep It Strategic While you are reading, reflect on how the article relates to what you want to write about or research. Mark It Up Take notes.

Interact with the article. How do the ideas or information presented relate to what you want to write about? Cut through the Jargon Unfamiliar technical terms? Google or use a specialized dictionary to find definitions. Replay If the article is relevant after you've read through it, consider reading it again. Because scholarly journal articles are much longer than other types of articles, it's important that you learn a strategy for determining if an article is relevant to your research before you commit to reading...

The following video shares a strategy for how to initially approach reading a scholarly article, particularly empirical / original scholarly journal articles in the sciences and social sciences disciplines. "How to Quickly Scan & Evaluate a Scholarly Article" (3:12) by QVCC Library is licensed under CC BY 3.0 This page will focus on reading scholarly articles — published reports on original research in the social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields. Reading and understanding this type of article can be challenging. This guide will help you develop these skills, which can be learned and improved upon with practice. There are many different types of articles that may be found in scholarly journals and other academic publications.

For more, see: Describes who is responsible for this work. May be one person, a group, or an institution. Make note of authors and institutions you see repeatedly during your search process. Describe the content in quick words or phrases. Help you place the work in context with other literature.

Good for quick reference! P laces the research in context with prior work. Analyzes important contributions that the author(s) believe are relevant and that the article builds upon to create new knowledge. Sometimes includes a theoretical framework. A good place to look to find additional sources for your research! Cunningham, A., & Hannon, R.

(2013). Reinforcing College Reading Strategies in the Library Classroom. LOEX Quarterly, 40(1). https://commons.emich.edu/loexquarterly/ vol40/iss1/4 Middlesex Community College Jean Burr Smith Library. (2017).

How to Read a Scholarly Journal Article. https://mxcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/How-to-read-a-scholarly-article_rev7_2016.pdf Reading Techniques. (2017, April 18). Dartmouth Academic Skills Center. https://students.dartmouth.edu/academic-skills/learning-resources/learning-strategies/reading-techniques

Scanning and skimming are essential when reading scholarly articles, especially at the beginning stages of your research or when you have a lot of material in front of you. Many scholarly articles are organized to help you scan and skim efficiently. The next time you need to read a scholarly article, use the following chart as a guide: This page will focus on reading scholarly articles — published reports on original research in the social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields. Reading and understanding this type of article can be challenging. This guide will help you develop these skills, which can be learned and improved upon with practice.

Describes who is responsible for this work. May be one person, a group, or an institution. Make note of authors and institutions you see repeatedly during your search process. Describe the content in quick words or phrases. Help you place the work in context with other literature. Good for quick reference!

P laces the research in context with prior work. Analyzes important contributions that the author(s) believe are relevant and that the article builds upon to create new knowledge. Sometimes includes a theoretical framework. A good place to look to find additional sources for your research! An explanation of how and why the authors approached the examination of their question and the collection of data. May include information about the limitations of their chosen methodology.

This page lists tips or ways that you can use to read a scholarly research article. While there are a lot of tips given, there is not necessarily one right way to read a research article; it depends on what you find most useful. The information given below came from the University of Southern California. Effectively reading scholarly research is an acquired skill that involves attention to detail and an ability to comprehend complex ideas, data, and theoretical concepts in a way that applies logically to the research problem... Here are some specific reading strategies to consider. Highlighting Key Points and Taking Notes

Libguides How To Read A Scholarly Article Key Reading Strategies

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