The Science of Psychological Journal Article Reading Simplified

As graduate students in psychology, you will no doubt face the task of reading and interpreting academic content in various professional psychological journals, such as those affiliated with the American Psychological Association.

Though at first analyzing journal literature may seem challenging, developing a strong level of comfort with these types of studies will prove essential to your educational progress. If gathering material for research, term papers or routine assignments, some basic steps to keep in mind when attempting to understand what you are reading include:

Start at the beginning : The Abstract

Psychological journal articles generally have a core structure, and familiarizing yourself with that structure is key to understanding a piece of written work. Most studies follow the format outlined by the American Psychological Association (APA). After noting the title, authors and the date of publication, dive into reading the abstract section. This usually includes a brief overview of the motives and goals of the article, as well as helping you decide if you want to continue reading the full version.

The Introduction

Skimming the introduction will provide you with the outline of the study and tell you why the authors conducted the study in the first place, plus it will reveal the relevance of the study in a psychological context. 

The Method

Here in lies the 'how' of the research study. Make sure to read about the methodology used by the researchers and the way in which they performed the study. Pay close attention to the history of the participants, such as their mode of selection and their characteristics. Skim the procedural content to glean a good idea of how it was conducted. Note the instruments used; find out if there were any experiments or surveys done, as well as the chronology of events. 

Results

This section will provide you with the researchers' findings and will be thorough in detailing a statistical analysis of the study. Here you will find raw data expressed in tables and figures, so a solid understanding of statistics will be beneficial, though not necessary. 

The Discussion

This final component of the journal article will contextualize the authors' findings. Find out what their own interpretations from the results gathered are and decide if they are relevant. What broader conclusions can be made from said findings? On your first reading, this section may be the one to focus on most, and the questions to ask may include: "Did the author's find a solution to the problem described in the introduction?" and, " Are these findings consistent with previous studies?" 

References

This section will cite the sources referenced in the study. It is a good idea to take a look at this for your own further reading. Be sure to read the article multiple times in order to form an extensive analysis. These points should provide solid footing on which to approach your next journal article analysis.

This post is brought to you by Argosy University. Drawing upon our more than 30-year history of granting degrees in professional psychology, Argosy University has developed a curriculum that focuses on interpersonal skills and practical experience alongside academic learning. Because getting a degree is one thing. Succeeding, quite another.