Summary
Research comprehension is essential in reading a scientific article. Such writing is not accessible to most people because of the seeming complexity of structure and language. Nevertheless, works of science can be read and understood, and finding effective strategies for exploring complex texts is a critical skill to learn. The major idea is that pre-reading activities are as important in successful comprehension as the reading itself. This papersummarizes the methods, results, and discussion used in constructing step-by-step instructions for reading research projects.
Introduction
All research articles start with an introduction or background information. The introduction is the section that describes the subject of the article in general terms. It serves two purposes. The first is that it familiarizes readers with the subject matter and explains the point of a research report in the first place. Secondly, it outlays the researchers’ suggestions and expected outcomes. It includes a thesis, which is a statement that the author will try to prove over the course of their paper.
There are several recommendations to remember when reading an introduction. Particularly, a reader should pay attention to peer reviews, which signify a qualitative article. They are done by external scientists who have expertise in the new article’s subject matter. Herber et al. (2020) refer to peer reviews as “a touchstone of modern evaluation of scientific quality” (p. 2). The most valuable part of peer reviews is reviewer comments. The reason is that researchers provide feedback via comments, thus increasing the overall scientific veracity of an article.
Another point to consider is that evaluating a research project requires methodological integrity. Levit et al. (2017) argue that there are two processes, which constitute its essence – “fidelity to the subject matter and utility in achieving research goals” (p. 2). Fidelity is exercised through the continuous study of the phenomenon under observation, while utility entails producing inquiries that answer the research questions. Inquiries themselves are based on the research questions of a particular study. Overall, the first step is selecting appropriate literature based on the number of peer reviews and adherence to methodological integrity.
Methods
Everyone conducting a study elaborates on the ways they use to arrive at conclusions. The methods section is designed to make readers aware of the steps undertaken by researchers. The authors underscore how they conducted their study. They disclose the use of volunteers and the manner of their participation in the study. The people who are being studied are called a study sample. The authors also describe any tools used to collect data.
An essential part of this section is the discussion of the sample’s limitations. Sample selection should adequately reflect the population (Gentles et al., 2016). A reader should evaluate whether the sample size adequately reflects the population. Sometimes, researchers decide to choose respondents based on convenience sampling, while the real population is not represented in the research. Therefore, the second step in reading the methods section is assessing how correctly the sample represents the population.
Results
Having explained the method used, researchers display their results. The important feature of this section is that it is supposed to be objective. Only the final data are presented, which stem from the analysis. Readers are free to interpret the result of the study as they wish, while researchers do not provide subjective insight into what the results mean. The third step is ascertaining the causative factors for the resulting findings.
Discussion
The discussion section is the logical continuation of the results. Researchers analyze the implications of their findings and present their view of what the findings mean for the studied area. The authors also note the limitations of their study and recommendations for further research. Unlike the previous sections, the authors provide their opinion and view of the situation. It is important to be able to distinguish between the authors’ input and the objective findings, which is the fourth step of reading a research report (Harrison, 2019).
Conclusion
In order to obtain the skills necessary for reading a research report, it is important to consider the recommendations suggested by scientists. There are four steps that readers can undertake to better comprehend a scientific article. The first step is choosing the relevant literature. The second is comparing the sample size and the population. The third is assessing how the study arrives at the results. The final step is evaluating how adequately the authors interpret the results.
References
Gentles, S. J., Charles, C., Nicholas, D. B., Ploeg, J., & McKibbon, K. A. (2016). Reviewing the research methods literature: principles and strategies illustrated by a systematic overview of sampling in qualitative research. Systematic Reviews, 5(1), 172. 1-11.
Harrison, S. L. (2019). Reviewing and applying qualitative research to inform management of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chronic Respiratory Disease. 16. 1-3.
Herber, O. R., Bradbury-Jones, C., Böling, S., Combes, S., Hirt, J., Koop, Y., Nyhagen, R., Veldhuizen, J.D. & Taylor, J. (2020). What feedback do reviewers give when reviewing qualitative manuscripts? A focused mapping review and synthesis. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 20, 1-15.
Levitt, H. M., Motulsky, S. L., Wertz, F. J., Morrow, S. L., & Ponterotto, J. G. (2017). Recommendations for designing and reviewing qualitative research in psychology: Promoting methodological integrity. Qualitative Psychology, 4(1), 2-22. Web.