Understanding Research Articles

Microbiology Laboratory

Primary Research Article

• Official documents scientists use to communicate research

• Read to become involved in the scientific process

• Challenge the way you think

Finding Research Articles

• Most journals are published online• Search strategies depend on purpose of

research• Library• www.highwire.org : Highwire press• Science, Nature, Journal of Bacteriology• www.biomedcentral.com

Abstract

• Summary of research paper• Include study’s purpose, experimental

approach, results and conclusions• Limited to less than 250 words• Most widely distributed portion of papers

Questions

1. In one or two sentences restate the title of the paper in a way that would be understandable to a member of the general public.

2. Who are the authors of your paper?3. When was the paper published?4. Summarize the main point of the abstract in

2 or 3 sentences

Introduction

• Contains background information and a description of the study’s purpose

• Authors describe a problem, explain prior work and indicate where a controversy exists

• They describe why their work is important and how it seeks to extend knowledge

Internet

• You might use the internet to help you understand the introduction. Elements to consider:– Author-who is the source? What are their

qualifications?– Scope-what is the intended audience of the site?– Timeliness: when was the information posted? How

often is the site updated?– Presentation-are there errors?– Mission-does the site have an agenda?– Review-Has the information been peer reviewed?

Observations, Experiments

• Scientific studies are rooted in previous work• Some studies are observational• Some studies ask questions from observations– Theory• Well established explanations

– Hypotheses• Tentative explanations not fully tested

Questions

1. Read the intro section, what is its main research area?

2. Are there areas of controversy in the research?3. Does the paper test a hypothesis?4. Does the paper develop a new theory?5. Overall, does the intro section make a

convincing case for the importance and value of the study?

Materials and Methods

• Tells how a study was performed• When well documented another scientists can

repeat the experiment• Variables are often used in this section– Dependent– Independent– Controlled

Dependent

• Change in response to other variables• Example– Volume regulation in fish cells, cell volume is the

dependent variable– Experiments may test how it changes in response

to other variables

Independent

• Potentially influence the dependent• Example– Osmolarity of the fluid outside cells in the

previous example

Controlled

• Numerous factors other than those under investigation may affect the outcome of the experiment

• Example– In studying osmolarity on cell volume, other

factors such as temperature and pH are held constant

Control Groups

• Receive a treatment where the independent variable is unchanged from the normal value

Questions

1. Was preliminary work done before the reported experiment?

2. List the variable studied3. How did the authors measure the variables?4. Do the materials and methods provide

enough detail to repeat the experiment?

Results

• The core of the study• Data is collected in many forms• Generally a notebook is kept where data is

recorded– Tables and graphs

Questions

1. How are the data presented in the paper?2. Are the finding relevant?

Discussion

• Opportunity for authors to explain what their findings mean

• Connects the study to previous work• Interpretation: describe meaning of data

Questions

1. How do authors interpret their findings?2. How does your interpretation of the study

compare to the authors?3. What is your overall opinion of the study?

Putting it all Together

1. Focus on methods and results2. Be a skeptic3. Be fair4. Consider the big picture5. Consult other sources6. Take your time7. Accept uncertainty8. Expect to be challenged!

Individual Lab Experiment

• May work with one partner (group of 2 students)

• Develop an experiment that can be done in our lab

• Will present findings to class

Important Dates

• March 4th: Title of experiment due• March 18th: Materials and methods due• April 1st: Conduct experiment in lab• April 15th: Present experiment findings using

powerpoint presentation• More information to come!

How to get started

1. Go to the library and check out online databases. Identify journals in your area of study that publish research articles

2. Locate the journals either online or at the library3. Develop a list of 3 research topics that interest

you, using your textbook, articles, or internet sites4. Develop a list of 3 current research topics by

browsing through the table of contents of recent journal issues

Con’t

5. Choose one of the research topics from question 3 or 4 and develop a list of 5 search terms that could be used to search for research articles on the topic

6. Using an appropriate database, identify 5 primary research articles on your topic

7. Use these articles in your research!