Parts of Scientific Journal Article

7. References

6. Conclusion

5. Discussion

4. Results

3. Methods

2. Introduction

Parts of a Scientific Journal Article

1. Abstract

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Abstract

What goes in the Abstract?

• The abstract is a short summary or overview of the entire article.
• The abstract prepares the reader for the details to come.
• Note: Often, the abstract is free but the reader has to pay to access the full journal article.

Read a sample Abstract

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Introduction

What goes in the Introduction?

• The introduction provides context and background information on the topic of study.
• The introduction starts broad (what has already been studied?) and narrows down tot he topic that will be addressed (what still needs to be studied?)

Read a sample Introduction

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Methods

What goes in the Methods section?

• The Methods section explains the experimental procedures.
• The reader should have a clear idea of how the experiment was set up, carried out, and could be replicated by another scientist.
• It is written in paragraph form, not a numbered list.

Read a sample Methods section

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Results

What goes in the Results section?

• The Results section is a brief paragraph explaining the findings of the study.
• The results should be based on data and unbiased.
• Graphs, charts, and data tables are included in this section.

Read a sample Results section

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Discussion

What goes in the Discussion section?

• The Discussion section explains and interprets the results and draws conclusions from them.
• It explains why the results matter.
• Often, future research recommendations are given.

Read a sample Discussion

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Conclusion

What goes in the Conclusion section?

• The Conclusion summarizes the main findings.
• It may include recommendations.
• This section may discuss limitations or errors of the study.

Read a sample Conclusion

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References

What goes in the References section?

• The Reference section gives credit to other scientists and researchers.
• Any articles mentioned in the introduction can be found here.
• References are typically given in APA format.

See a sample Reference

• You won't understand every vocabulary word. That's okay. Skim through and pull out the big picture.

• You should be able to read the abstract and undersand at a high level what the experiment was testing, what they found out, and why it's important.

Tips for reading the abstract:

Here is an abstract for an article titled, "How do smartphones affect our sleep?"

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• You won't understand every vocabulary word. That's okay. Skim through and pull out the big picture.

• You should be able to read the Introduction and gain background knowledge on the topic. You should be able to answer:
• How common is smartphone usage?
• What are some negative effects of using smartphones?
• What is the main question they tested during the experiment?

Tips for reading the Introduction:

Here is an Introduction for an article titled, "How do smartphones affect our sleep?"

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• You won't understand every vocabulary word. That's okay. Skim through and pull out the big picture.

• You should be able to read the methods and have a picture in your head of how the experiment was set up and carried out. You should be able to answer:
• Where was the experiment conducted?
• How many subjects (people) were included in the study?
• What were the topics of the two questionaires used in the study?

Tips for reading Methods:

Here is the Methods section for an article titled, "How do smartphones affect our sleep?"

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• You won't understand every vocabulary word. That's okay. Skim through and pull out the big picture.

• You should be able to read the methods and have a picture in your head of how the experiment was set up and carried out. You should be able to answer:
• Where was the experiment conducted?
• How many subjects (people) were included in the study?
• What were the topics of the two questionaires used in the study?

Tips for reading Methods:

Here is the Methods section for an article titled, "How do smartphones affect our sleep?"

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• You won't understand every vocabulary word. That's okay. Skim through and pull out the big picture.

• You should be able to read the results and understand the outcome of the experiment. You should be able to answer:
• How common is smartphone addiction among students?
• Which age group shows a higher prevalence of addiction?
• Are all students who use smartphones for more than 5 hours a day addicted to their phones?
• Is there a correlation between the percentage of students who are addicted and how late at night they use their phones?

Tips for reading Results:

Here are the Resuts for an article titled, "How do smartphones affect our sleep?"

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• You won't understand every vocabulary word. That's okay. Skim through and pull out the big picture.

• You should be able to read the discussion and undersand why the results are important. You should be able to answer:
• How do the results of the study impact our current understanding of the topic? (Why is it important?)
• Why might younger students have higher levels of addiction?
• What questions or uncertainties still remain?
• How does the timing of smartphone use relate to addiction and sleep quality?

Tips for reading a Discussion:

Here is the Discussion for an article titled, "How do smartphones affect our sleep?"

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• You won't understand every vocabulary word. That's okay. Skim through and pull out the big picture.

• You should be able to read the conclusion and summarize the main findings and the significance of the study. You should be able to answer:
• What are the main health risks associated with smartphone use?
• What actions can people take to reduce the negative effects of smarthone use?
• How could reducing overall screentime benefit one's health and wellbeing?

Tips for reading a Conclusion:

Here is the Conclusion for an article titled, "How do smartphones affect our sleep?"

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You don't need to read through the references, but they are available to the reader if they want to investigate the topic further and read up on other studies that have been conducted.

No tips here!

Here are the References for the article, "How do smartphones affect our sleep?"

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