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This video from the USU Libraries gives you tips on how to break down scientific articles into easy to read sections. (2:11) Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed) https://youtu.be/Fm6pdg3uAPA 

Not all research is good research. It's very important to critically evaluate the evidence you find. Consider the following when reviewing an article:

• What is the article about?

  • Is this article relevant for your research paper topic?

  • Is the article qualitative OR quantitative research?

• What is the purpose of the study?

  • Does this research add to the literature? Is it a bigger, longer, more substantial study?

  • Is the hypothesis clearly stated?

  • Does the article include a literature review and cover related studies?

• How are the study methods described?

  • Who was studied? Age, sex, ethnicity?

  • Who was not studied?

  • What size was the population studied? (ex. N value)

  • How was the population studied? In a clinical or real setting?

  • How long was the study?

  • What materials were studied? (i.e. drugs or devices)

  • Who funded the study?

  • What type of study was conducted?

• How are the study results described?

  • Do the results include statistical analysis?

  • Are all results discussed, including unexpected results?

  • Can the results be applied outside this study?

Research studies can fall into two categories, quantitative and qualitative. This chart highlights the differences between each type.