How to Read a Journal Article in 10 Minutes or Less

Summary

In this video, David teaches how to efficiently read a journal article in under 10 minutes. He explains that articles are structured into sections like titles and abstracts, which summarize the research, and the conclusion, which is crucial for understanding the study's impact. Skipping less relevant sections like methods and results can save time. This strategy is aimed at student researchers seeking to quickly grasp the essence of academic articles.

Takeaways

• 📚 Journal articles are structured reports, not meant to be read like a novel.
• 🔍 Identify relevant sections to focus on, as some parts may not be necessary for your research.
• 🏷 Understand that journal articles use specialized language similar to poetry, requiring training to interpret.
• 📊 The title of an article is a condensed summary, breaking it down helps in grasping the content.
• 📝 The abstract is a miniature version of the article, containing background, methods, results, and conclusions.
• 🔑 The introduction section outlines what is known, the research gap, and the research question or hypothesis.
• ⏭ Skip the methods section unless you need to replicate the study or understand the technical details.
• 📊 The results section presents data without interpretation, often in charts and tables.
• 🏁 The conclusion is crucial for understanding the study's significant findings and implications.
• ⏱️ Reading selectively and strategically can reduce the time spent on an article to as little as 10 minutes.

Q & A

Why does David suggest that journal articles are hard to read?

David suggests that journal articles are hard to read because they are not meant to be read word-for-word like a story and they require specialized training to understand fully.

What is the purpose of dividing journal article titles into parts?

Dividing journal article titles into parts helps to understand what is being done, why it's being done, how it's being done, and to whom it's being done, providing a quick summary of the article.

What does the colon in a journal article title signify?

The colon in a journal article title separates the main title from a subtitle, indicating a specific focus or aspect of the study that the title is highlighting.

How does the structure of an abstract mirror the main article?

The structure of an abstract mirrors the main article by containing the same parts: background, methods, results, and conclusions, but in a condensed form without the details.

What is the main purpose of the introduction section in a journal article?

The main purpose of the introduction section is to provide the context of the research by discussing what is known, what isn't known (the research gap), and what research question will be answered, often including the hypothesis.

Why does David recommend that student researchers skip the methods section?

David recommends skipping the methods section because it is intended for peer reviewers and other researchers who may wish to replicate the study, not for student researchers who are typically looking for the study's findings and conclusions.

What is the significance of the results section in a journal article?

The results section simply presents the data produced by the methods without interpretation. It is often filled with charts and tables, but David suggests skipping it for a quick understanding of the article.

Why is the conclusion section important for student researchers according to David?

The conclusion section is important for student researchers because it contains the study's significant findings and their implications, offering the study's contribution to the understanding of the topic.

What strategy does David suggest for reading an academic journal article efficiently?

David suggests starting with understanding the title, studying the abstract to determine relevance, and if continuing, skipping to the end for findings and conclusions. If deeper understanding is needed, one can circle back to the introduction and literature review.

How long should it take to read a journal article using David's suggested strategy?

Using David's strategy, reading an academic journal article should take only 10 minutes or less.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Mastering the Art of Skimming Journal Articles

David introduces a method to read journal articles efficiently, emphasizing that they are not meant to be read like stories but are structured reports. He explains the importance of understanding the sections of an article: title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, and conclusion. The title is highlighted as a condensed summary of the article, and David demonstrates how to dissect it for quick comprehension. Titles are shown to contain crucial information about the study's subject, purpose, method, and target audience.

05:07

🔍 Decoding the Abstract and Introduction

The abstract is described as a miniature version of the article, containing the same parts: background, methods, results, and conclusions. It serves as a quick overview to decide if the article is relevant. The introduction section is broken down into what is known, the research gap, and the research question or hypothesis. David advises that the purpose of the study and the hypothesis are usually found in the last paragraph of the introduction.

10:18

🚀 Skipping Unnecessary Sections for Student Researchers

David advises student researchers to skip the methods and results sections, which are more relevant for peer reviewers and researchers looking to replicate studies. Instead, he recommends focusing on the conclusion section for significant findings and implications. He outlines a strategy for reading: understanding the title, studying the abstract, and if necessary, going straight to the findings and conclusions. If further understanding is needed, one can refer back to the introduction and literature review.

Keywords

💡Journal Article

A journal article is a scholarly publication that contains the results of original research, presenting new data, theories, or interpretations. In the context of the video, journal articles are complex and specialized forms of writing that are not meant to be read like a story but rather as reports divided into sections. The video emphasizes that understanding the structure of journal articles is crucial for efficient reading.

💡Sections

Sections refer to the distinct parts that a journal article is divided into, such as title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, and conclusion. The video script explains that not all sections are relevant to every reader, and identifying the relevant sections can help in quickly grasping the essence of the research.

💡Abstract

The abstract is a concise summary of a journal article, encapsulating its core components: background, methods, results, and conclusions. The video uses the abstract as an example of how to quickly understand the content of an article without delving into the details.

💡Title

The title of a journal article is a crucial element that provides a one-sentence summary of the research, including what is being done, why, how, and to whom. The video script illustrates how to dissect a title to gain a quick understanding of the article's focus.

💡Literature Review

A literature review is a comprehensive analysis of previous research on a topic, often found in the introduction section of a journal article. The video mentions literature reviews as part of the background in an abstract and as a component of the introduction section, setting the stage for the research gap.

💡Research Gap

The research gap refers to the缺口 or the unanswered questions in existing literature that a study aims to address. The video script points out that the research gap is often identified in the introduction section of an article, highlighting the need for the current study.

💡Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a proposed explanation or assumption made based on limited evidence, to be tested through research. The video script notes that hypotheses are typically stated in the last paragraph of the introduction section, indicating what the study aims to prove or disprove.

💡Methods Section

The methods section of a journal article provides a detailed account of how the research was conducted. The video suggests that this section is often skipped by student researchers since it is intended for peer reviewers and other researchers interested in replicating the study.

💡Results Section

The results section presents the data collected from the research without interpretation. The video script advises skipping this section for a quick read, focusing instead on the conclusions where the data is interpreted.

💡Conclusion

The conclusion section of a journal article summarizes the study's findings and their implications. The video emphasizes the importance of this section for student researchers, as it contains the study's significant findings and contributions to the field.

💡Reading Strategy

A reading strategy refers to a systematic approach to understanding and analyzing text. The video outlines a strategy for reading journal articles efficiently, focusing on the title, abstract, and conclusion, and suggesting when to skip certain sections for a quicker understanding.

Highlights

Journal articles are not meant to be read word-for-word like a short story.

Journal articles are reports about complex research projects divided into sections.

Some sections of a journal article are more relevant to student researchers than others.

Reading journal articles requires specialized training, similar to reading poetry.

The parts of a journal article include title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, and conclusion.

Journal article titles are long and provide a summary of the article's content.

The title of a journal article tells what, why, how, and to whom the study is conducted.

Abstracts are miniature versions of the entire article without the details.

Abstracts contain background, methods, results, and conclusions.

The introduction section includes what is known, what isn't known, and the research question.

The hypothesis is usually stated in the last paragraph or last sentence of the introduction.

The methods section is intended for peer reviewers and other researchers, not student researchers.

The results section presents data without interpretation, often in charts and tables.

The conclusion section contains the study's significant findings and their implications.

The conclusion is where to stop and take notes for understanding the study's contribution.

Understanding the title is crucial as it opens the door to the article's content.

The abstract helps determine whether to spend time on the article or to skip it.

If the article is relevant, skip to the findings and conclusions for a deeper understanding.

For clarification of terms or concepts, refer back to the introduction and literature review.

Reading an academic journal article should ideally take only 10 minutes.

Transcripts

Hi, everyone, this is David, and today we’re going to discuss how to read a journal article in 10 minutes or less. No kidding.

As a student researcher, there's really no reason to spend hours trying to decode a typical academic journal article.

So, let's begin with a common question: Why are journal articles so hard to read? Well, there are two reasons basically.

The first reason is, you shouldn't be reading them. Journal articles are not meant to be read word-for-word, front-to-back like a short story.

Journal articles are actually reports about a complex research project. And because these articles are reports, they're divided into

sections. Now, some sections are relevant to you, the student researcher, and some are not. Your goal is to read and take notes on the

parts, the sections, relevant to you. The second reason journal articles are hard to read is that they are a specialized form of writing.

They require training in order to get the most out of. It's similar to reading poetry. To have a successful encounter with poetry, you need

training on meter, rhyme scheme, format. Whether the poem is a sonnet or a roundelay. You want to know figures of speech like simile

and metaphor, personification, and so forth. So, like poetry, these journal articles are a specialized form of writing that requires training

to get the most out of. And it’s that training that I hope to give you today. Okay, let's dive in. The first thing you need to know about a

journal article is its parts. And those parts are title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, and conclusion. We're going to break down

each of those parts and crack the code on what each part contains. Yes, there are other parts such as keywords, appendices, and

references. But we're talking about the parts that you, the student researcher, need for the report that you're writing. First, let’s take a look

at titles. In case you haven’t noticed, journal article titles are long for a reason. They are required to tell the reader, usually other

academicians, what's being done, why it's being done, how it's being done, and to whom it’s being done. Think of journal article titles as

a one sentence summary of the article. The best way to do this is to divide the title into parts. Take a look at this one.

"A randomized control trial." You know already that the article will discuss the results of a controlled trial, which involves participants.

Next is: "to improve social skills." This tells you the purpose of the study. But, to improve skills in whom? The next phrase tells us:

"in young adults." Are they just any young adults? No, they are young adults with "Autism Spectrum Disorder." So, we now know what is

being done, how it’s being done, why it's being done, and to whom it's being done. You have a pretty good view of the whole article.

Let's look at another title. "Designing for climate resilience" colon. That colon is important. It separates a subtitle from a main title.

After the colon comes the following, "What is the influence of environmental conditions." So we know we're going to be looking at the

effects of environmental conditions. Now, what will they affect? We now know--"thermal sensation." Finally, we are told where these

observations will take place: "in sub-tropical high-density cities." So, taken together, we're going to be looking at the influence of

environmental conditions on how people feel thermally in specific cities. Okay, that's the breakdown on titles. Their average length in an

academic journal article is 19 words for a reason. Your job is to divide the title into parts. Taken together, those parts provide a picture of

what is in the article. During your research, you can often decide to include or exclude an article based on its title once you understand

how to break it down. The next part is the abstract. The abstract also distills the entire article for you. The abstract is actually a

miniature version of the entire article, just without the details. As a result, the abstract has the exact same parts as the main article:

background, methods, results, and conclusions. You can divide abstracts into those four parts, just like you can the main

article. First is background. This is often a brief summary of the literature review and the topic to be studied. Then come the methods.

In this example, a replication trial tested the effectiveness of PEERS, that’s a therapy program. Next are the results. In this case,

"Results revealed that the treatment group improved significantly." And then comes the conclusion: "Most treatment gains were

maintained at a 16-week follow up with new improvements observed." There you go: Background, methods, results, conclusion.

Let's look at another abstract; you’ll see the same parts. Background: Here's a longish background section. Next is the methods:

"This paper presents the results of an outdoor thermal comfort survey." So the testing method was a survey. Next are the results:

"The study revealed . . . " is followed by the significant findings. And finally, the conclusion: "The findings of the study help inform future

design." There they are: those same four parts. And thosse same four parts, remember, reflect the main sections of the journal article.

After the abstract is the introduction. The introduction is broken into: what is known (often a literature review), what isn't known

(the research gap), and what research question will be answered. If there is a hypothesis, it will usually be stated in the last paragraph or last

sentence of the introduction section. Here are some examples. You see the Niccolopolu and Steamers citation: that's the end of

the literature review. Next is the goals of the study: "This study aims to look at . . . " Here's another one. "In this paper, we explore how

these capabilities and challenges manifest . . . " This is the hypothesis and research question given as the last sentence of that introduction.

So, what does this tell you? If you want to know the purpose of a research study, go to the last paragraph of the introduction.

And that is where you usually will find the hypothesis or the research question for that study. Next part, methods. First, the methods

section is usually the longest. Second, the methods section is not intended for you, the student researcher. Instead, the methods

section is intended for peer reviewers who are evaluating the article for publication. The methods section is also intended for other

researchers who may wish to evaluate or even replicate the study themselves. Therefore, you the student researcher can skip the methods

section. After the methods section is what is sometimes callled the results section. It simply presents the data that were produced by the

methods, and that data is presented without interpretation. The data are often presented in all those charts and tables that seem so

confusing in an academic journal article. Well, guess what? Skip it. Skip the methods section and the results section which simply presents

the data. You want the next section. And the next section is the conclusions. And this is where you'll find the study's significant findings

and their implications. This, the conclusion, is an important section for you, the student researcher. This, the conclusion, is most likely

where you want to stop, read word-for-word, and take very good notes, especially since this section contains the study's payoff. It’s going to

talk about the contribution of this study to everyone’s understanding of this particular topic. So, here's the overall suggested strategy

for reading an academic journal article. First, make sure you understand the title. The title opens the door to understanding what is to

come. Next, study the abstract. Knowing the abstract's parts--background, methods, results, and conclusion--will help you determine

whether to spend time on the article or to skip it and move on forward. If you decide to continue with this article, the most direct route is to skip

to the end for the findings and conclusions. If you need a deeper understanding or clarification of the topic, terms or concepts

being researched, all you have to do is to circle back to that introduction and the literature review, and that’s going to provide you

background on what's at stake here and what concepts are being evaluated. That’s it.

Good luck with your reading of academic journal articles. It should take you only 10 minutes. OK. Talk to you later.