Definition & Overview
What do you mean by "research article"?
When you hear the phrase "research article" what comes to mind? If we think about these two words we have RESEARCH, which Merriam-Webster defines Links to an external site. as "careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something," and ARTICLE is defined as Links to an external site. "a piece of writing about a particular subject that is included in a magazine, newspaper, etc." In addition to the term "research article" you might also hear academic, scholarly, peer-reviewed, and/or refereed. All of these terms mean the same thing and is a type of information that is published after it goes through an intense vetting process.
Where do "research articles" come from?
You might have already learned about how articles come to be published in peer-reviewed articles in a previous library orientation, but if you would like a review of the process this 3-minute video produced by North Carolina State University Libraries Links to an external site. does a great job of explaining how it works. Scholarly articles are important because they provide a body of research that has been vetted by other peers. It might be helpful to think of scholarly articles as professional conversations; they are conversations that take place in a community of researchers and serve to bring about new, updated research.
Always think critically about information!
This sounds simple right? There are a variety of methods for finding scholarly articles, but it is equally important, as with all forms of information, to think critically about the information you gather and synthesize into your work. The Belk Library and Information Commons at Appalachian State University Links to an external site. provides excellent guidelines for evaluating scholarly articles Links to an external site. you will find throughout the research process (it is included as a downloadable PDF in this module). The criteria ASU Libraries identifies is the following:
- Purpose of the Article
- Type of Journal
- Organization and Content
- Bias
- Date of Article
- Bibliography
- Usefulness
- Authority
- Scope/Coverage
- Audience
- Illustrations
This might be familiar to you if you have learned about evaluating websites and online content in previous library orientations. The list above created by Belk Library and Information Commons carries it a bit further, applying it directly to research articles. It is important to think about these eleven criteria when deciding if a research article is going to be useful in your student work.
Where do I find "research articles"?
There are many places to find research articles, including some places that are free or open access. Most research articles are aligned with major publishers, which means this content usually (but not always) has a price tag attached. Looking for scholarly articles through Google Scholar Links to an external site. is a great way to see what kind of scholarly content exists out there on a given topic, but it's important to remember that not all content in Google Scholar is a research article; it is also a place to find books, white papers, conference presentations, research findings, etc. Some of the articles you might find through Google Scholar will require a user name and password, or they might charge a fee in order to access the full text. Do not pay for research articles! We have research databases to help you find the articles you want and if you are set on a particular article you can always complete an inter-library loan request.
One of the best places to gather and evaluate scholarly articles is through The Library - Learning Commons Links to an external site. research databases. EBSCOhost and ProQuest provide access to scholarly journals and articles, as long as you limit your search results to Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals. ScienceDirect is another research database available through The Library - Learning Commons and houses exclusively scholarly content. Between these three research databases you should be able to find a research article on your topic.
What other options do I have if I can't find the article I want?
Should you find an article you really want through Google Scholar, from the references section of a book/journal, or through some other avenue you can always request an article Links to an external site. through The Library - Learning Commons Links to an external site.. In the toolbar at the top of the website you will select Request Items >> Article. Fill in the form and submit it and the Library staff will make every effort to get the article to you. Please request articles sooner in your research process, rather than later. The sooner you can put in an article request through The Library - Learning Commons the more likely it is we can get it to you before your work comes due.