Reading a Scholarly Article
October 15, 2025
Posted by STLCC in Reading Resources
Scholarly articles, particularly those that report research, are generally structured in a similar format. That format is outlined here to help you create notes as you read that research to determine if the article will be relevant to your project.
Scholarly articles usually include an abstract; a summary of the research; sections on methodology, results, implications, discussions, and conclusions; as well as a list of references.
Finding Articles
To find a scholarly article to use in a research paper, STLCC Libraries offer access to a variety of databases and other tools essential for conducting research projects. These databases contain scholarly articles, journals, and other resources for effective research.
When reading scholarly articles, students don’t have to figure everything out on their own. Librarians provide research support to help students locate peer-reviewed sources, understand academic databases, and evaluate whether an article is credible and relevant. Using these services can make reading and understanding scholarly articles much more manageable and less overwhelming.
Reading Articles
It's good practice to thoroughly read the article one time and then read it a second time while taking notes on each section of the scholarly article. Print out this page as an aid when you read articles to use in your research papers or set up your notes with each of these sections. STLCC students can stop by their tutoring center on campus to pick up printed copies of any tutoring resource.
Citation
Most research databases list the citation for you, and STLCC professional writing tutors can help you with citations as well.
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Abstract
The abstract is a brief summary of the article’s findings and results. There are times when this section is referred to as a “Summary.” Read the abstract and make notes on the lines below.
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Summary of Related Research
Research articles often begin with a summary of similar and related research that has been previously published. Authors will cite and summarize the work of others. This section of a scholarly article is also referred to as a “literature review.” Read the abstract and summarize what you have read on the lines below.
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Methodology
In this section, the author(s) will describe their research. This section will describe the purpose, population studied, procedures, and sample sizes used. Read the Methodology section and make notes on the lines below.
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Results
Results and findings of the research are presented in this section. Read this section and make notes on the lines below.
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Implications, Discussion, and Conclusions
What did you learn from this section, why is it relevant and what are their next steps? Create a concise summary here of the conclusions.
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Use in My Paper
I will include this article in my paper because…
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OR — I can NOT use this article in my paper because…
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