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Nursing Research Orientation: Articles

Research guide for Nursing

Using Journal Articles for Research

  • Academic journal articles are often authored by scholars and/or professionals active in a particular field
  • Academic journal articles can be primary or secondary sources, depending on their purpose
  • Scholarly articles provide a close look at a very specific topic, using data to support research findings
  • Journal articles can lead you to other relevant sources through their bibliographies

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

How to Read (& Comprehend) Scientific Research Articles

What is a Research Database?

  • Research databases are specialized online tools used to search for information on your topic. Databases store and organize information on all the articles published in its collection of journals, magazines, and newspapers.

  • Use a database to search for articles by keyword across multiple journals at the same time. 

  • McKillop Library provides access to those articles via a subscription service - in fact, McKillop Library subscribes to more than 140 different databases to support student research at Salve Regina University. 

  • Most, but not all of the articles indexed in a database are available to read "full-text". This means the entire text of the article is available to view, as long as you are logged in through the library portal. 

  • Articles that are not available full-text may be requested via our interlibrary loan service.

What makes an article "scholarly?"

  • The target audience for scholarly communication is other researchers, professional colleagues, and students who have content knowledge in the same field. This contrasts with popular articles that are aimed at a wider, more general audience.
  • Research articles directly report the original findings of the author’s own research or experimentation.
  • The organization, professional society, or institution with which the author is affiliated will be listed to establish their credentials.
  • The language of scholarly communication is formal, generally does not use the first person, and often includes jargon specific to the field.