LMT130 Instructional Session
What are we talking about today?
- What we mean when we say peer review.
- How to efficiently read academic articles.
- What types of resources are available to you in the Barber Library.
- And how to find help when we get stuck!
Let's talk about peer review.
To conduct professional research, you will need to know the difference between peer reviewed journals and other publications. So let's start with some definitions! What exactly is peer review?
In a breakout room, discuss the following:
Now let's shared what you talked about with the rest of the class!
Would you consider something like this peer reviewed? How about this one?
In a breakout room, discuss the following:
- How do you define peer review?
- What characteristics do you look for to determine if something is peer reviewed?
- Where you would go to search for peer-reviewed articles? Would you expect to find peer-reviewed articles in a newspaper or magazine? Why or why not?
- Why do you think instructors recommend you include peer-reviewed articles for academic research?
Now let's shared what you talked about with the rest of the class!
Would you consider something like this peer reviewed? How about this one?
Let's talk about reading peer reviewed articles.
To get started, let's consider the different sections you might find in academic articles.
Protip: all articles are not created equal so this is not an exhaustive list. You may see some of the following, all of the following, references to sections similar to the following, etc., etc. You need to use your best judgement and context when using academic articles for research.
Now that we know each section, how do we get started reading? To begin, you want to answer two questions: What is the article about? And what is the point/main argument of the author(s)?
You can answer these two questions by skimming the abstract, introduction, and/or discussion/conclusion.
After skimming, re-read the whole article and summarize each paragraph or section with a few words/sentences in the margin. After you're done reading, number three or four of the most important points, making it easier to identify later.
You can also read an article in this order:
Let's check that you feel comfortable with this by playing a Kahoot! Go to kahoot.it or click on the image below.
Protip: all articles are not created equal so this is not an exhaustive list. You may see some of the following, all of the following, references to sections similar to the following, etc., etc. You need to use your best judgement and context when using academic articles for research.
- Abstract: usually indented or italicized at the beginning of the article, the abstract provides a
summary of the research, including its purpose, significant results, and implications. - Introduction: introduces the topic, the thesis, and tells you why the research is important. Usually a research question or hypothesis is found in the last paragraph of the introduction.
- Literature Review: describes any previous research or discussion and how this research fits into the continuing scholarly conversation. Sometimes combined with the Introduction section above. This section can help you find additional research on the topic.
- Methods/Methodology: describes the methods used in the research and/or how the author will try to support or (disprove) the research question.
- Results: all the data collected from the research. Look for graphs and tables.
- Discussion/Conclusion: the authors’ interpretation of what the results mean to the field and how it addresses the original research question. Sometimes discusses implications for future research and makes recommendations for future policy or practice.
- References: lists source citations used in the article. Also helpful for identifying additional research on the topic.
Now that we know each section, how do we get started reading? To begin, you want to answer two questions: What is the article about? And what is the point/main argument of the author(s)?
You can answer these two questions by skimming the abstract, introduction, and/or discussion/conclusion.
After skimming, re-read the whole article and summarize each paragraph or section with a few words/sentences in the margin. After you're done reading, number three or four of the most important points, making it easier to identify later.
You can also read an article in this order:
- Abstract while asking yourself what is this article about and is it relevant to you.
- Introduction while while asking yourself what the research question is.
- Method while asking yourself who are the participants and how was the study conducted?
- Results/Discussion while asking yourself what are the key findings, how do the findings relate to the research question, and what might be some implications for future research.
- Circle jargon or technical terms you don't understand so you can look them up/incorporate them into your keywords later;
- Highlight quotes you can't paraphrase so you can distinguish between your own words and direct quotes;
- Put a check mark next to references relevant to your topic you might want to look up later;
- When you're done, make a note of how this article could be useful to you.
Let's check that you feel comfortable with this by playing a Kahoot! Go to kahoot.it or click on the image below.
Let's talk about the resources available to you as a COCC student.
- Library resources curated for students in the massage program: guides.cocc.edu/massage
- Course materials available for checkout: check the library catalog
- Technology for checkout: guides.cocc.edu/technology
- Request options from libraries in the Pacific Northwest and around the world: cocc.edu/departments/library/services/borrowing/accounts.aspx
Let's talk about getting help.
When you search, you might find yourself getting stumped. That's totally normal, there's a lot to this whole research thing! To help you, the library offers a wide range of services. We'll help even if you're not using library resources, you just have to ask!