Reading and Abstracting Research Articles

Provide a citation using APA Style (see the Citation Machine and the ASU Library's page on How to Cite Sources)

Many research articles follow a predictable pattern. When you read an article, you can generally expect to find answers to these questions:

v     Why did the researcher do this study?

o       What is the research question(s) or purpose(s)?

v     What theoretical perspectives influenced the researcher?

o       Is there a (re)statement of the research question(s) or purpose(s)?

v     What does the related research reveal about the topic?

v     What methods were used?

o       Subjects

o       Context

o       Data

o       Procedures

o       Data analysis

v     What did the researcher find?

v     What does it mean?

Once you have identified the crucial information above, you should use the information to guide you as you write a narrative abstract that summarizes the most important information.