On this page, you will find methods for assessing and evaluating if the information you found was reliable and relevant to your literature review. You will also find strategies and suggestions for reading scholarly articles that can be help you pull out important points.
The SIFT method of verifying and vetting information you find on the web. First, stop and ask yourself if you trust the source. If not, move on. Also, stop periodically in process of digging to make sure you're still focused on the question at hand. Next, investigate the source. If you're unsure about it, looked for more trusted evidence. Finally, make sure to trace claims, facts and quotes back to their original source. Don't rely on someone else's interpretation.
Source: https://www.notion.so/checkpleasecc/Check-Please-Starter-Course-ae34d043575e42828dc2964437ea4eed
Generally, skimming through the paper and identifying how the paper is structured will help you get a sense of what are the goals of the authors (and what are they trying to persuade you to believe), and also where you might locate information you need. Reading the abstract will also give you a good sense of what the authors find important in the paper.
For example, if you are asked to focus on the methods used by researchers to address the problem, you may find that the article you found has a method section, and this will be where you will need to do more intentional close reading to identify key ideas.
How to read a scientific article by Mary Purugganan and Jan Hewitt from the Cain Project offers breakdowns of an article structure and offers guidance to identifying main points and how to take notes as you read.
If you prefer a video format, the video below will also walk you through how to read an academic article, and provides some additional tips on understanding some of the statistical analyses.
