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Understanding the different parts of a scientific paper
Usual parts of an academic paper:
- Abstract - summarizes the research and findings
- Introduction - includes background, history, and rationale for the project described
- Methods - "what did the authors do, and how did they do it?"
- Results - findings of the work
- Discussion - "what does it all mean?" as well as limitations of the work
- Conclusion - summarizes results, and often includes suggestions for future work
Finding Sources
In class, we will work in groups to look at the resources listed below.
Still can't find exactly what you're looking for? Try one of the many other options listed on the Finding Sources in Chemistry page.
- LitmapsCitation network tool for scientific literature discovery. You do not have to create an account. Pick a few seed articles and find connections to other related items.
- PubMed This link opens in a new windowSearches the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE database, as well as other biomedical / life sciences sources. Users may also search PubMed Central, which is the National Library of Medicine's freely available collection of biomedical and life sciences journal articles. Coverage starts in the 1800s and continues to present day.
- SciFinder This link opens in a new windowResearch from many scientific disciplines, searchable by keywords, substances, chemical compounds, and more. You must create an account before you can use the database. Available only to Elon students, faculty, and staff.
- Web of Science This link opens in a new windowIndexes tens of thousands of scholarly journals across all disciplines, as well as conference proceedings, monographs, and more. Pulls data from several different databases, but is traditionally strong in the sciences. Coverage (in Science Citation Index Expanded) starts in 1900 and continues to present day. Previously known as Web of Knowledge.
Dealing with scientific jargon
It's ok if you don't recognize all of the words in a scientific paper. This is actually a common occurrence! A few tips:
- You don't have to read linearly (that is, from the first sentence, in order, all the way to the last).
- Ask yourself: what question does this paper ask? What's the main point?
- Look for section headings (see below) of interest.
- How to (seriously) read a scientific paperThis is an older (from 2016) but still relevant piece from Science. Scientists at every stage, from students to professors and industry professionals, were asked: how do you read a scientific paper? Their responses are many and diverse.
Evaluating Sources
But how can I:
- Know if I've found enough?
- Know if I've found the "right" information?
- Know what's most important to include?
You get to decide!
As you search, find sources, and deal with the deluge of information, ask yourself:
- Which results are most relevant to your work?
- Why does this particular source exist? What's it's purpose?
- Do you need to have the most current information?
- In the sciences, the answer is usually yes. However, you might be interested in the evolution of a technique you plan to use in your own work.
- What do others have to say about this particular piece of information?
