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Type of
Article
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Characteristics
*Note: There are other articles (i.e., perspectives, commentaries, or opinions), but the below are the main types of scholarly literature.
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Scholarly, empirical? |
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Original
Research
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Original research studies or works. Classified as primary literature.
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Often includes: hypothesis, background, methods, results, interpretation of findings, and discussion of possible implications.
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Examples:
dissertations, conference papers, research results, patents, technical reports, diaries/journals, laboratory notebooks.
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Thought to ponder: Should you include in your own research (i.e., literature review)?
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Words to look for:
Empirical, Experiment, Research, Study, Participant, Sample
"Our study looked for..."
"My research focused on..."
Example
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Scholarly? Yes.
Empirical? Yes
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Review
Article
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Provides an overview of existing literature in the field. Often identifies specific problems or issues within published literature. Secondary literature.
3 types: 1) Literature Reviews, 2) Systematic Reviews, and 3) Meta-analyses
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1) Literature Reviews: published research with a different point of view. The researcher/writer often analyzes gaps, limitations or problems.
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2) Systematic Reviews: structured, addresses a specific formulated question about the literature, and may include multiple sources both published and unpublished.
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3) Meta-analyses Reviews: Statistical methods are used to collect measures, and effects from independent, but similar studies and to summarize multiple similar studies instead of relying on the single study.
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Words to look for:
Literature review
Example
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Scholarly? Yes
Empirical?
No
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| Theoretical Article |
Written to contribute to the theoretical foundations of a field of study. In this type of article, an author will draw upon existing research to form a new theory or explore theories in new ways. |
These articles are peer reviewed but do not normally contain research or present experimental data. |
Does not generally include methods or results section. Sections vary from article to article, unlike empirical articles. |
Thought to ponder: Should you include theoretical articles in your literature review? |
Words to look for:
Concepts/Conceptual
Framework/Model
Theoretical foundation
Perspectives
Example
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Scholarly?
Yes
Empirical?
Generally no
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Clinical Case
Study
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Presents patient cases from clinical or medical practice.
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Includes a detailed discussion of signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
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The author/researcher has practical experience. Often an expert in his/her field.
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Thought to ponder: As you work on the template are you noting the expertise of the researchers. What are any similarities/differences?
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Words to look for: Randomized control trial
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Clinical Trial
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Specific to the field of medicine.
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Includes methodology, implementation, and results of controlled studies, usually with large patient groups.
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Observational (observation of participants) or interventional (participants given a treatment or intervention).
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Thought to ponder: Will you be using any articles that are clinical trials, and if so for what purpose?
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Words to look for: Randomized control trial
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Book Review
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Provides an opinion on recently published scholarly books.
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Often short and expected to be unbiased.
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Published in most academic journals.
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Often used to introduce or familiarize readers with a new book in the field.
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Words to look for:
Book Review
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Scholarly?
No
Empirical:
No
Not appropriate for research papers
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