Finding an article Go to library.gsu.edu. Find the sociological abstracts database. You can get to it by subject (sociology) or by name a-z (s). Search for an article by topic, title, journal or author. Choosing an article You will choose an article of interest to you. The article you choose must 1) contain sociological content related to something we’ve discussed in class 2) have been written in the last 10 years 3) come from one of these approved journals AND 4) be an empirical study: Possible Article Topics School Shootings Immigration Climate Change and Energy The Bathroom Bill Reparations Prostitution and Sex-work Criminal Justice Reform Universal Basic Income Drug Legalization Gender Wage Gap Affirmative Action Cost of College and Student Loan Debt Human Trafficking Sex Education in Schools Welfare Reform Gentrification Football Players Kneeling Activist movements Gerrymandering Domestic Violence Elite university admissions Mental Illness in the US Medicalization Environmental Racism/Classism How to read a research article Main components of a scholarly article Abstract – summary of the paper Introduction/Background (not usually labeled) You will usually find the Research Questions here Literature Review (not usually labeled) This section often has subheadings by theme or topic You will usually find specific hypotheses here and any theory used will be here Data/measurements/methods (may use one or several of these labels depending on the journal) Here you will find the source of the data, the list of variables, and the type of study Results/analysis This section is usually tables along with analysis and interpretation (written description of the findings) Discussion/conclusion Restate the research question/hypotheses along with the relevant results Some interpretation, application, policy proposals, future research etc. Tips for reading a scholarly article Read the abstract and discussion first. This gives you the best overview of the entire paper. Then read the other sections based on what you want to know. Want to know what they learned? Read the results. Want to know what theoretical perspective they’re using? Read the background/literature review. Want to know how they set up their study? Read the methods section. How to write an article review Questions to answer What is the purpose of the article? What are the research questions and why are they of sociological importance? What research methods did the author(s) use to answer their research questions? Where did their data come from and how was it collected? What were the key findings? What conclusions did the author(s) make? Choose one of the following areas to address as a critique: Alternate explanations for the findings A different methodological approach An additional research question or hypothesis that would have added clarity or weight to the argument Problems with the methods such as selection bias, sampling error, etc. An ethical concern or que.