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Research Hacked: Peer Review

How to find and use peer-reviewed sources

Try these hacks

Suggested reading order
Section Purpose You'll Most Likely Find Ask Yourself
Title What It’s About

Keywords for further searching

 Does this title seem relevant to my information needs?
Abstract Summary

The study’s purpose

Highlights of the focus and results

Relevance of the study or findings

What is this article about?

Is it related to my question or area of research?
Introduction Why It Was Done

A clearly stated research question or hypothesis

The conceptual framework, theory, or model being tested or explored

Why is the research important? 

How is it unique? 

Will it tell me anything new related to my research question?
Conclusion What Was Learned

Restatement of results and their importance

Suggestions for further research

What does the study mean? 

Why is it important?
Discussion What It Means

If the hypothesis was supported or not

Limitations of the study

This may not be its own section but part of the conclusion

What are the weaknesses in their argument?

Is the conclusion valid?
Results What Happened

Description of the findings

Tables and figures

What did the author find and how did they find it? 

Are the results presented in a factual and unbiased way? 

Does their analysis agree with the data presented? 

Is all the data present? 
Methods How It Was Done

Identification and explanation of the scientific procedures or research methodology used

How did they do the research? 

Is it a qualitative or quantitative project? 

Are methods thoroughly explained and presented in chronological order?

What data are the study based on? 
References Sources Cited 

Acknowledgement of contributions that inform, influence, support, or conflict with the study/article

A trail to follow for further research

Refer to these anytime.

What other articles should I read? 

What other authors are respected in this field? 

What other research should I explore?

 

Pro Tips

Read Actively

  • Read out of order.
  • Use any keywords printed by the journals as further clues about the article.
  • Keep your research question in mind.
  • Focus on the information in the article relevant to your question, & skim over other parts.
  • Question everything you read; not everything is 100% true or performed effectively.
  • Think critically about what you read and seek to build your own arguments.
  • Look up words you don't know.

Take Notes

Try different methods to find the one that fits you best. Here are some suggestions:

  • Print the article and highlight, circle and otherwise mark while you read (for a PDF, you can use the highlight text feature in Adobe Reader).
  • Take notes on the sections, for example in the margins (Adobe Reader offers pop-up sticky notes).
  • Highlight only very important quotes or terms or highlight potential quotes in a different color.
  • Summarize the main or key points.

Reflect

As you read, jot down questions that come to mind. These may be answered later on in the article, or you may have found something that the authors did not consider. Here are a few questions that might be helpful:

  • Have I taken time to understand all the terminology?
  • Am I spending too much time on the less important parts of this article?
  • Do I have any reason to question the credibility of this research?
  • What specific problem does the research address and why is it important?
  • How do these results relate to my research interests or to other works which I have read?

Credits: Adapted from University of Southern California Libraries

Video Explainer from Kishwaukee College Library

How to read scholarly articles