Tutorial on how to read and understand a research article, for BSN students at Daytona State College

1. HOW TO READ A RESEARCH
ARTICLE
Rachel Owens, Librarian, School of Nursing
Rachel.owens@daytonastate.edu
(386)506-3518 OR (386)506-3842

2. HOW TO READ A RESEARCH ARTICLE:
FIRST PAGE
• Abstract: will tell you what the article is about and, if a
research article, what the findings were
• Author affiliations and credentials: RN?
• Conflict of interest statement: check for who, if anyone, paid
for the study to be done

4. HOW TO READ A RESEARCH ARTICLE:
FIRST SECTION
• Introduction: an overview of the problem
• Review of literature: what research has already been done on
this subject
• Statement of problem: what these researchers are going to
address

6. HOW TO READ A RESEARCH ARTICLE
• Methodology: what did they do?
• Design of study: randomized? Double
blind? Survey?
• Measurements and data collection: what did
they measure?
• Statistical tools: how did they measure
it?

8. HOW TO READ A RESEARCH ARTICLE
• Results: what did they find?
• Look for “statistically significant,” p-
values. The lower the p-value, the better.

9. HOW TO READ A RESEARCH ARTICLE
• Discussion: what do their findings
mean?
• Lessons learned, limitations of study,
areas for further research
• Funding statement: is there conflict of
interest?

11. HOW TO READ A RESEARCH ARTICLE
• References: might be helpful to you in
your own research
• Check dates: is their research based on
information that’s older than 5 years? (If
so, not good.)

13. NEED HELP? HAVE QUESTIONS?
• Email: Rachel.owens@daytonastate.edu
• Phone: (386)506-3518 OR (386)506-3842
• Live chat: https://library.daytonastate.edu/help/ask (when
library is open)
• In person: Building 210, second floor, Daytona campus OR
Building 1, DeLand campus