Chapter 1. Scientific Article Infographic Activity

Infographic

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Scientific American: Psychology
Infographic Activity 1.2: How To Read a Scientific Article

How To Read a Scientific Article

Psychologists publish their research findings in peer-reviewed, scientific journals. Scientific journal articles are different from news articles or blog posts that you might find through a typical Internet search. When you read news articles or blog posts about a research study, you can’t assume these sources accurately interpret the study’s findings or appropriately emphasize what the study’s original authors think is important. For a full description of the background, methodology, results, and the application of a research study’s findings, you must read a scientific article.

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1.1 Quiz

1. In a full citation of an article found in a professional psychology journal, which of the following pieces of information would appear first?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct.
Incorrect.

2. Dr. Phillipi is writing an article to be published in the Journal of Professional Psychology. She knows that as part of this article she will have to provide a brief description of the entire article, and that this description will be found at the start of her paper. What is this brief description called?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct.
Incorrect.

3. In which of the following sections of a professional journal article would you be most likely to find ideas for additional research articles on the topic you’ve just read about?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct.
Incorrect.

4. The reference for a complete journal article follows a specific format. Which of the following pieces of information is not found in such a reference?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct.
Incorrect.

5. You are writing an article that will summarize the research you have done in your particular field of psychology. There is a lot of data to present, and you have decided to do so using a series of charts and graphs so that the reader will have all of that information in one place. In which section of a standard scientific article would these graphs and charts be most likely to appear?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct.
Incorrect.

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