A research article presents scientific findings with clinical data and is written by and for researchers. It strictly presents facts and is found in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The layout follows a protocol, including a summary statement in the title and an abstract with a specific formula. The author’s degree of contribution is listed, and the contact for additional information is usually selected. The abstract precedes the entire content and contains an introductory sentence, methodology, results, and conclusion statement.
A research article is a written document that illustrates a scientific research finding with supporting clinical data. This differs from other types of informational articles, such as journal articles or research articles, which typically address the topic in a general scope as a means of introduction. A research article, on the other hand, is written by and for researchers for the purpose of making specific findings known to the scientific community at large. In fact, rather than appearing in a consumer or industry publication, a research article is found exclusively in a peer-reviewed scientific or medical journal, such as the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Another key difference between other papers and a research paper is that the latter strictly presents the facts, rather than serving as an opinion letter or a summary of existing scientific literature. However, most scientific journals publish such letters simultaneously, as well as reviews of the body of existing research methods and findings.
As with any kind of focused writing, there is a protocol to follow when writing a research article in terms of layout. For example, the title should provide a summary statement that describes the research or presents the main conclusion drawn from the work. This not only helps the article get noticed in the table of contents in the print version of the scientific journal, but also helps index the article in electronic format. For example, PubMed Medline is an online database of published journal materials provided by the US National Library of Medicine. A keyword or phrase search scans articles published in thousands of scientific journals and returns search results based on their relevance in the title.
The author or authors of a research article are listed according to their degree of contribution to the work, making it easy to identify the lead researcher. Typically the last name format followed by the first and second initials format is used. When there are many authors submitting the article, it is usually only necessary to include the first three names when referencing or citing the article in another document. Additionally, an author is usually selected to serve as the contact for additional information or comment on the article, as well as the party responsible for future edits or updates. Where appropriate, the university or affiliated research facility follows the names of the authors.
While most other forms of articles contain a summary at the end, the process is reversed in a research article. In fact, the table of contents, known as the abstract, precedes the entire content of the article. There is even a specific formula for its construction. It contains an introductory sentence or two explaining the need for the research performed, followed by the methodology used, the results found, and how the researchers applied the findings. Finally, the abstract contains a single sentence representing the authors’ conclusion statement based on these findings.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
