BSC 1011C (Laurent) : Finding Journal Articles

The two presentation assignments require you to find empirical articles, articles based on original scientific research. An empirical article is an article from the library databases that presents research that is based on actual observations or experiments conducted by the author. 

How can I tell if an article is empirical study?

• Check the source: Empirical articles are usually found in scholarly journals, not magazines or newspapers. Journals like Genetics and Animal Biology both publish studies that are empirical. 
  
• Read the abstract (summary): If it mentions any study, questionnaires, participants, or measurements that the author conducted, it is empirical.
• Format: Many empirical articles are broken down into sections, such as "Methodology", "Results", and "Conclusion." Finding these or similar headings in an article is a good indication that it involves a study or experiment.
• Length: Empirical articles are usually very lenghty, at least 5 pages.
• References: Does the article have references listed at the end? Scholarly researchers have to cite their sources, just like you!

If in doubt, always ask your instructor or a librarian!

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