Reading academic articles

Summary

This ELC self-learning video offers a time-efficient approach to reading academic articles. It highlights the importance of reading titles, abstracts, keywords, and introductions for a quick overview. The video suggests skimming literature reviews and methodology sections unless deeply interested, while emphasizing the value of reading discussions, implications, and conclusions for understanding research findings and their societal relevance.

Takeaways

• 📚 Read the Title and Abstract first, as they provide an overview of the article's topic.
• 🔍 Look for Keywords to find similar research articles and speed up your search.
• 📖 Introduction is a MUST READ, as it defines the article's title and highlights the research's interest.
• 📈 Skip the Literature Review if you're only seeking background information, as it's not essential for understanding the article.
• 🔬 Skip the Methodology if you're not interested in the research process or comparing different methods.
• 📊 Findings or Results can be skipped if they're too complex or heavily statistical.
• 💭 Read the Discussion, Implications, and Conclusion sections for an explanation of the results and their relevance.
• ✅ MUST READ sections include Title, Abstract, Keywords, and Introduction.
• 👀 When you're interested, read the Literature Review, Methodology, Findings/Results, and sometimes the Discussion.
• 🚫 No need to read sections that are too difficult to understand; it's okay to skip them.

Q & A

What is the main challenge students face when reading academic articles?

Students often find it stressful to read a large number of academic articles within a limited time.

Why is it beneficial to read academic articles despite the challenges?

Reading academic articles is beneficial as it provides background information, builds up useful vocabulary, and offers the latest research findings and ideas.

What is the basic format of an academic article?

The basic format of an academic article typically includes sections such as Title, Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings/Results, and References.

Why are the Title and Abstract of an academic article important to read first?

The Title and Abstract are important to read first because they provide an overview of the topic and help determine the relevance of the article to the reader's needs.

What role do Keywords play in academic articles?

Keywords are useful for searching for journal articles with similar research topics, which can speed up the process of finding relevant literature.

Why is the Introduction section considered a MUST READ in an academic article?

The Introduction section is a MUST READ because it defines the article's title and explains what makes the research interesting and relevant.

Can you skip the Literature Review section when reading an academic article? Why?

Yes, you can skip the Literature Review section if you are not interested in the history of related research on the same topic, as it is not necessary to understand the article.

What is the purpose of the Methodology section in an academic article?

The Methodology section describes how the research was conducted, which is useful for advanced researchers who want to compare different research methods.

Why might you skip the Findings or Results section of an academic article?

You might skip the Findings or Results section if it is too complex or if it mainly covers statistical data that is not relevant to your needs.

What is recommended to read in the Discussion, Implications, and Conclusion sections?

It is recommended to read the Discussion, Implications, and Conclusion sections because they explain the results in everyday language, highlight the relevance of the findings, and summarize the key points of the research.

What is the final tip given for reading academic articles more efficiently?

The final tip is that you don't need to understand every word in the journal; you can choose to skip parts that are too difficult to understand.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Reading Academic Articles

This paragraph introduces the video's focus on an efficient method for reading academic articles, a task that many students find challenging due to the time constraints and the complexity of the content. It highlights the benefits of reading such articles, which include gaining background information and vocabulary, and staying updated with the latest research findings and ideas. The paragraph also mentions the typical structure of academic articles, which usually includes sections like Title, Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings/Results, and References. It emphasizes the importance of understanding each section's purpose to facilitate efficient reading.

Keywords

💡Academic Articles

Academic articles are scholarly publications that present research findings and new ideas in a field of study. They are written by experts for experts and are a primary means of communicating knowledge within academic communities. In the video, academic articles are highlighted as a source of stress for students due to the volume required to be read within limited time. The script emphasizes that despite the difficulty, they are beneficial for gaining background information and vocabulary.

💡Abstract

The abstract is a brief summary that appears at the beginning of an academic article. It provides an overview of the article's content, including the research topic, methods, results, and conclusions. In the video, it is mentioned as one of the first things to read as it helps to decide whether the article is relevant to one's study.

💡Keywords

Keywords in an academic article are terms that represent the main topics discussed in the paper. They are used to aid in the search and retrieval of articles with similar research topics. The video script suggests that finding keywords can speed up the process of searching for relevant journal articles.

💡Introduction

The introduction section of an academic article provides the context and rationale for the research. It defines the research question, explains the significance of the study, and outlines the objectives. In the script, it is recommended to read the introduction to understand what makes the research interesting.

💡Literature Review

A literature review is a section in an academic article that surveys research previously conducted on a topic. It provides the historical context of the research and situates the current study within that context. While it can be interesting, the video suggests that it may not be necessary to read for those seeking only background information.

💡Methodology

Methodology refers to the methods and procedures used in conducting research. It outlines how the research was carried out, including the research design, data collection, and analysis techniques. The video script indicates that this section may be skipped if one is not interested in the research process itself.

💡Findings/Results

Findings or results are the outcomes of the research process. They present the data collected and analyzed during the study. The script suggests that this section can be skipped if it is too complex or if it primarily contains statistical data.

💡Discussion

The discussion section interprets the results of the research, explaining what the findings mean and how they relate to existing knowledge. It is often written in more accessible language, making it easier to understand. The video highly recommends reading this section to grasp the main idea of the research.

💡Implications

Implications refer to the significance or consequences of the research findings. They explain how the results of the study can affect theory, practice, or policy. The video script highlights that this section is important for understanding the relevance of the research to society.

💡Conclusion

The conclusion section of an academic article summarizes the key findings and major arguments. It may also mention the limitations of the research and suggest directions for future study. The video script emphasizes the importance of reading the conclusion for a clear understanding of the research's key points.

💡MUST READs

In the context of the video, MUST READs refers to the essential parts of an academic article that should be read to gain a comprehensive understanding of the research. These include the title, abstract, keywords, and introduction. The script uses this term to categorize sections that are crucial for understanding the article's relevance and content.

Highlights

Reading academic articles is a beneficial but challenging task for students.

Academic articles provide updated research findings and professional discussions.

Understanding the basic format of an academic article is crucial for efficient reading.

The Title and Abstract are the first sections to read for an overview of the article's topic.

Keywords can speed up your search for similar journal articles.

The Introduction defines the article's title and highlights the research's interest.

The Literature Review provides the history of related research but is not essential for initial understanding.

Methodology details how the research was conducted and can be skipped if not relevant.

Findings or Results may be skipped if they are too complex or statistical.

Discussion, Implications, and Conclusion are highly recommended to read for understanding the research's relevance and significance.

Discussion explains the results in everyday language for easy comprehension.

Implications or Significance explains the relevance of the research results for society.

The Conclusion reiterates the key findings and major arguments of the research.

Some articles may mention limitations and suggestions for further research in the Conclusion.

You don't need to understand every word in an academic article; it's okay to skip difficult parts.

Using the mentioned techniques can make reading academic articles more enjoyable and worthwhile.

Transcripts

Welcome to this ELC self learning video. This video looks at a time-efficient way to

read academic articles. Many students find that the most stressful

part of university learning is having to read a huge number of academic articles in a very

limited time. Reading academic articles is not an easy task,

and sometimes you may find it quite time-consuming and energy-draining, but reading them is actually

beneficial. You will not only gain background information,

but also build up some useful vocabulary about the topic you are studying.

Academics generally give the latest updated research findings and ideas in scholarly publications.

They do their professional discussion in journals, which are mostly aimed at other experts in

the field. That's partly why academic articles are

sometimes hard to read and understand. Though it's not easy, you can get through

the process by following these tips. Let's look at the basic format of the academic

article first. Most of the time, you will find these sections:

and References. Not every report will contain all of these,

and sometimes the names may change, but those are the major headings.

Once you understand what each section does, you will be able to locate it easily when

you read academic articles. The Title and Abstract are usually the first

two things that appear in an academic article. You should always read the title and abstract,

They are incredibly useful. They'll give you an overview of the topic that

the article discusses. They will help you decide whether the article

is really related to what you are looking for.

Then, you need to find the Keywords, if they are given, and the Introduction.

Keywords are useful for searching journal articles with similar research topics.

This will speed up your journal searching process.

Look at the Introduction, which can often be found in the first two paragraphs.

Here you can see the definition of the article title and what makes this research interesting.

Therefore, the first 4 parts on the list are MUST READs.

The Literature Review usually comes after the Introduction.

Some academics call it Literature or Previous Work.

Some writers may even name the part with the theory they are going to mention in this part.

The Literature Review tells you the history of related research on the same topic.

It might be interesting to you, but it is not necessary to read it to understand the

article. Methodology is another part that you might

skip at this stage. Some writers may call it Method, Research

Process or Procedure. This part refers to how the research was carried

out. Advanced researchers often follow the steps

the author used to conduct their research and make comparisons between different research

methods. However, this is not necessarily useful to

you if you are looking for background information. Findings or Results show you what the researcher

got from the research process. You can skip this part too if you find it

too complex, especially if it only covers statistical data.

Discussion, Implications and Conclusion may appear in articles separately or in one

single part. I would highly recommend that you read through

these parts. Discussion explains the results, often with

everyday language, so you can easily read it and grasp the main idea.

Implications or Significance explains the relevance of the Results for society.

The Conclusion highlights the key findings and major argument again.

Some may also mention the limitation of the research and suggestions for further research

in this part. Let's sum up what we have just gone through.

In the MUST READ column:

In the column read it when you are interested:

are being put into

the column of no need to read. One more tip, you don't really need to understand

every word in the journal, you can chose to skip it when it's too hard to understand.

With the techniques that we mentioned today, I'm sure you'll find reading academic

articles a more enjoyable and worthwhile experience.