The presentation discusses the things to observe when judging a scholarly article. Most scholarly articles follow a format that is recognizable within the academic community. Databases have tools to assist you in your search for scholarly articles.

1. Anatomy of a Scholarly Journal Article
Information Literacy
for the Health Science Student
Mark D. Puterbaugh
Reference Librarian
Paul Robeson Library
Rutgers University – Camden
Sept. 2018

2. The Beginning of a Scholarly Article
Generally speaking, scholarly
articles follow a logical
pattern.
The author's name is stated
clearly showing credentials
and affiliations.
The abstract relates the purpose
and briefly discusses the
content of the article.
The introduction states the main
purpose for the article and
the logical progression the
article will follow to support
that purpose.

3. The Body
Citations throughout the
article demonstrate that the
author’s opinion is backed
by documented research.
The outline of the article
follows a logical progression
of the point by point
Headings mark out topical
sections before the
discussion.

4. Tables and Charts
Tables and charts display relevant
information in a brief, digestible
form.

5. The Conclusion of a Scholarly Article
The conclusion summarizes
and finalizes the author’s
main purpose, based on
the evidence presented in
the paper.

6. Research Evidence
References listed at the end of
the paper present the works
used to build the author’s
argument and conclusion.

7. Publishing Style Differences
Be aware that journals use different style
formats based on the publishing needs.
Here the abstract is arranged in a box
apart from the body of the article.
The author’s credentials and affiliations
are at the end of the paper. While the
aesthetic of the presentation may differ,
the body of the article will follow the
outline and progression of thought.

8. Types of Scholarly Articles
Listed here are examples of a few types of scholarly articles that
you will discover during your research.
• Case Reports are descriptive studies of a group of people,
usually receiving the same treatment or with the same
malady.
• Clinical Practice Guidelines are systematically developed
statements that help practitioners and patients in making
decisions about health care under specific clinical conditions.
• Evidence-based Practice articles reflect the conscientious
explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making
decisions about the care of individual patients.
• Technical Reports are documents that describe the process,
progress, and or results of technical or scientific research or
the state of a technical or scientific research problem or
something else.

9. Find Scholarly Articles Using
Database Limiters
Database limiters or
filters are tools that
will help you focus a
search on a particular
type of scholarly
information.
The PubMed filter,
presented here, limits
search results to
clinical trials.

10. Specialized Databases for Types of Scholarly
Research
Some databases are designed
to look for a specific type of
scholarly literature.
Annual Reviews is a collection
of reviews of the literature for
various disciplines.
PubMed Health focuses on
literature in evidence-based
practice and clinical
effectiveness.

11. Look at the Titles
Often a publication’s title
declares the type of
information within the
article.
This article is a technical
report.
This article presents a
clinical practice guideline.
This article is a case study.

12. Look at the Table of Contents
Many journals organize
articles by type. Check the
table of contents to see
what is available.
As an example, the Journal of
the Medical Library
Association has a section of
case studies.
Anesthesiology Research and
Practice lists a section for
clinical studies.

13. The End