FAU Lab Schools Research

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Research Paper Analysis Template

Canvas Resources: canvas.fau.edu/courses/36616

A common structure of research papers will follow the Introduction, Methods, Results,
and Discussion (IMRaD) format. Please read then analyze the research paper by
answering the prompts in this template.

Table of Contents

Literature Search ............................................................................................................. 2

Title / DOI ........................................................................................................................ 2
Journal ............................................................................................................................ 2
Author Affiliations ........................................................................................................... 2
Background / Literature Review...................................................................................... 3
Unfamiliar Terms............................................................................................................. 3
Research Question(s) ..................................................................................................... 3
Methodology ................................................................................................................... 4
Figures............................................................................................................................. 7
Results........................................................................................................................... 11
Findings / Contributions ............................................................................................... 11
Limitations / Further Study ........................................................................................... 12

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Literature Search
Please upload a screenshot of your keyword search query used to find these papers in
a scholarly literature database (e.g., Web of Science, PubMed, etc.) to demonstrate your
literature search competency.

Title / DOI
What is the title of the research paper? Provide the DOI persistent link.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Journal
Please provide the name of the journal in which this research paper is published. Take
a moment to check whether it is indexed in a scholarly literature database (e.g., Web of
Science, PubMed, etc.) and assess how reputable this journal is.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Author Affiliations
Please identify the affiliations of each author. Take a moment to assess the institutions
(e.g., well-respected, agenda-driven, etc.).

Click or tap here to enter text.

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INTRODUCTION
Please read the Introduction section of the research paper.

Background / Literature Review

The Background provides context to research by introducing the topic (and why it is
important), explaining fundamental concepts or theory, and defining key terminology.

The Literature Review walks you through prior works on a specific topic to review the
current state of knowledge – i.e., "what has been done?", and relates that to the focus of
their research on questions or problems that have not yet been addressed – i.e., the gap
in scientific knowledge motivates what needs to be done.

Ultimately, the researchers can use this information to introduce their present study,
emphasizing its purpose and the reason(s) they needed to do it.

Please provide several summary details from the background and literature review.
Note: complete sentences are required.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Unfamiliar Terms
Please define a list of unfamiliar terminology (you must submit three or more with
short definitions). There are always words we do not know and must look up.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Research Question(s)
The researchers will situate their work within the context of what has been done and is
known on the topic. Ultimately, this will provide rationale - i.e., the purpose of the study.
This is its focus - to "fill the gap" by investigating the question which others in the
discipline are trying to solve. Note: this statement can be written as a question or
objective or hypothesis.

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Part A

Identify the BIG QUESTION. Hint: the title can often assist you in finding the big
question.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Part B

Additionally, identify the SPECIFIC QUESTION(S). Hint: the last paragraph of the
Introduction section is a common place to find these, which are also sometimes
enumerated in a list.

Click or tap here to enter text.

METHODS
Please read the Methods section of the research paper.

Methodology
The Methods section details the approach used to answer the research question(s),
complete the objective(s), etc. The researchers will describe the following in great
detail...

• subjects / participants / study area; and their sampling strategy / selection

criteria / characteristics or conditions
• data collection (equipment, techniques, materials, secondary datasets, etc.) and
experimental set-up / procedure or model architecture
• methods of data analysis (statistical tests, modeling, evaluation metrics, etc.)
• The aim is to provide sufficient detail such that another trained expert could
reproduce the study yielding consistent results, or even replicate the study with
their own data.
• If the paper contains a Methods Cartoon, use that to guide your own creation.

Please upload your methods cartoon on the following page(s). Refer to CREATES -
https://uclalibrary.github.io/creates/r and be sure to adequately illustrate the entire
methodology.

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RESULTS
Please read the Results section of the research paper.

Figures
Please annotate three (3) results figures found in the research paper. Each figure
annotation needs to:

• Identify the trend/pattern(s) in the figure

• Connect the figure to the specific methodology used to gather the data
• Show how the figure informs the Results/Discussion and answers one of the
specific questions.

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Figure 1:

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Figure 2:

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Figure 3:

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Results
Results are evidence-based, objective statements of what was found from analysis or
modeling performed on data. Figures and tables are used to visualize data and the
results. These findings should parallel the research objectives such that one could
answer the big and specific questions of the study.

Part A

From the results, what is/are the answer(s) to the study’s BIG QUESTION?

Click or tap here to enter text.

Part B

From the results, what is/are the answer(s) to the study’s SPECIFIC QUESTION(S)?

Click or tap here to enter text.

DISCUSSION
Please read the Discussion section of the research paper.

Findings / Contributions
The Discussion includes how the results support the answer to the research question
and author(s) interpretation of findings. The author(s) will also state their contribution
to “the literature” or "scientific knowledge" in their discipline.

Part A

Interpret what do the results mean and how does that impact our understanding of this
topic?

Click or tap here to enter text.

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Part B

Why do the authors state should we care about this study and its findings?

Click or tap here to enter text.

Limitations / Further Study

The Discussion should also include limitations of the study and gaps in knowledge that
remain, motivating areas for future research.

Part A

Please comment on the assumptions and limitations as well as potential "red flags" in
this study. Note: go beyond the superficial replies of "sample size too small" or "survey
participants may not respond truthfully", for example.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Part B

What "gap" remains, as identified by the author(s)? What next steps might you propose
for future study?

Click or tap here to enter text.

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[FAUHS Research Program Resource] Analyzing a Research Paper

References
Bhattacherjee, A. (2012). Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices – Chapter 3
Overview of the Research Process. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3.

Booth, A., Papaioannou, D. & Sutton, A. (2012). The literature review: its role within research. Systematic
Approaches to a Successful Literature Review (SAGE), pp.1-16.
https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/43465_Booth_et_al.pdf.

C.R.E.A.T.E.S. method: An innovative method for understanding scientific articles. University of California,
Los Angeles (UCLA) Library. https://uclalibrary.github.io/creates/index.html.

Frery, A. (2020). Best practice guidelines for publishing a scientific paper. IEEE Geoscience and Remote
Sensing Society. https://youtu.be/2rT4ZWF7L_0

Raff, J. (2013). How to read and understand a scientific paper: a guide for non-scientists. Violent
Metaphors Blog. https://violentmetaphors.com/2013/08/25/how-to-read-and-understand-a-
scientific-paper-2.

Purugganan, M. & Hewitt, J. (2004). How to read a scientific article. Cain Project for Engineering and
Professional Communication, Rice University.
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj/courses/HowToReadSciArticle.pdf.

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