Introduction
An Overview of Research Materials
When assigned a research paper in a health and nutrition course, you will need to locate a variety of sources such as articles, books, websites, and more. Of all these source types, you will mostly be required to find scholarly research articles. In order to understand how to find and review research on health science topics, it is necessary to have some basic information on characteristics of a scholarly article vs popular articles, how to identify original research articles as opposed to review articles, and the different types of research articles available. The content on this page is by no means exhaustive, but it will provide you with enough information to get started and understand the task at hand.
Scholarly VS Popular Articles
Scholarly Journal Articles
Purpose: To communicate research findings to other academics.
Title: Long and specific with academic terminology.
Author(s): Usually more than one, sometimes multiple
Citations: Many citations both in text and at the end.
Text: Academic and discipline specific words, very academic.
Format: Usually includes Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Conclusion, Limitations, and Discussion sections.
Materials: Plain text, graphs and some images
Frequency: Quarterly
Popular (Magazine & Newspaper) Articles
Purpose: To entertain, inform, or provide an overview to general readers of the public.
Title: Short and basic
Author(s): Usually one
Citations: Rarely in text or end (with some exceptions)
Text: Basic, easy to understand terminology for a wide audience.
Format: Usually without sections (or few).
Materials: Glossy paper, frequent images, advertisements both online and in print throughout.
Frequency: Monthly/Weekly/Whenever updates are necessary.
Original Research VS Review Articles
Original Research Articles
Purpose: To present scientific findings.
Article Title: Detailed with specific jargon.
Usage: Includes specific information on new research.
Examples: Randomized Controlled Trail, Cohort Study, Case Studies
Review Articles
Purpose: To summarize, analyze, or critique other studies.
Article Title: General, wide scope.
Usage: Offers summary of research on a topic.
Examples: Systematic Review, Narrative Review, Meta-Analysis
Types of Research Articles
Cohort Study - A research article that tracks one or more groups ( also referred to as cohorts) with specific risk factors during a specified interval of time to determine their likelihood of contracting a disease or other outcome.
Characteristics: Look for aspects/terms including survey, group description , observational, follow-up, or a description for one of the groups.
Case-Control Study - A research article that compares a group of patients with a disease or outcome to a control group. The study looks back to retrospectively compare the exposure to a risk factor(s) and the likelihood of contracting a disease or outcome.
Characteristics: Look for aspects like Control/placebo, match demographics, description of disease or outcome as a prerequisite.
Cross-Sectional Survey - A research article that collects information about a group of interest in a specific point of time. These articles are regarded as "snapshots" of groups of people and the information pertaining to them.
Characteristics: Survey date displayed, emphasis on particular group of people, usually data collected in a broader survey.
Case Report - A research article that examines a single case. These usually address:
- Special cases unexplainable by documented conditions or symptoms
- Instances that demonstrate a significant variation of a virus or condition.
- Cases documenting surprising occurrences that might reveal significant or new information.
Characteristics: The focus of the article on one particular patient or program.
Randomized Controlled Trial - A study where people are randomly assigned to receive one of several interventions. Usually one of the two interventions is a control group in which no intervention is used.
Characteristics: Phrases and traits to look for include "assigned at random", a placebo/control group, and/or a description of two populations.
Systematic Review - A methodically constructed, comprehensive review of the literature on a research topic. All information is organized and presented according to a previously-prescribed protocol and synthesized with a meta-analysis.
Characteristics: Look for words like "review" or "meta-analysis" in the title.