“I’ve done the research”,

When most people say, “I’ve done the research”, they usually mean they have spent too much time on the internet, googling topic of interest. As budding scientist, we know that this is not at all an example of “doing the research.” 

So, how exactly does one “do the research”? 

Well, it starts with a thorough literature review on the topic to understand what is known and the gaps in knowledge. That way, we can understand, using peer reviewed evidence, what are the facts and what is opinion. Then, we can apply critical thinking skills to determine if the information or next steps we are presented with are logical. 

Any literature review worth a grain of salt starts with reading peer reviewed research articles. For most people, the first attempts at reading a scholarly research article are best described as “intimidating”, “boring”, and “confusing”. This is usually because they haven’t had any guidance in how to read a scientific article. So, the goal of this assignment is to give you to the tools necessary to navigate, read, and understand a peer-reviewed research article with confidence and clarity. 

download, complete, and submit the Scientific Research Article Anatomy Worksheet