Resources - Chapter 4 Supplement

Research Article Structure

The Introduction

Describes the problem being addressed, what other researchers have done, what the research question is, and on what evidence it is based.

The Methods

Describes how the research question is tested, and it's the most important part of the article. If the Methods section contains errors, the integrity of the entire study can be compromised. This is the part of the article you should read with the most care to see if it makes sense in light of what you know about your field and the scientific method.

The Results

The author presents what the study found.

The Discussion

The results are analyzed. The author explains what the results mean in the larger context and how they apply to the problem presented in the Introduction section, and then he makes recommendations for future research.