Research Article

The world of literature is constantly evolving. Every day, innovative academics, scholars, students and hobbyists are pushing the boundaries of literary theory into fresh, exciting areas. It is the opportunity for new, alternative interpretations that turns English literature from a study of the past into a living, breathing reflection of our modern day.

But how do new literary theories come to fruition? For our ideas to be considered, we require an accepted mode of communication that allows us to coherently and concisely express our thoughts. One way we can accomplish this is through the use of the research article. Let's look in detail at the different types of research articles, some examples, and the typical research article format.

Research article meaning

Research articles are often confused with other types of articles that feature in larger publications. Before we get started, let's define what a research article is:

A research article could take a unique stance on an existing debate, offer a solution to an unanswered question, or propose a new idea entirely. The main goal of any research article is to present your research in a convincing, accessible and justifiable way. After writing their research article, the author will submit their work to an academic journal.

After submission to the academic journal, any research articles that pass the preliminary stage will undergo a rigorous peer-review process. The journal's editor can choose any outside scholars to review the article, most of whom will remain anonymous. This process typically takes several months, with the reviewers offering criticism and the author making several amendments.

Typically, research articles were created by experts for experts. However, thanks to the internet, the freedom to access, study and utilise research articles is more apparent than ever; many research articles are now only published electronically!

This accessibility means that a quality research article can benefit many people. All authors are required to cite their work, and any argument considered subjective will not be accepted. This means that research articles are highly credible, making them a reputable source ideal for essays.

To better understand how a research article is critiqued, let's look in more detail at the peer-review process.

Different types of research articles

Remember, a research article is always a primary source. Although articles that review other works of literature are often featured in academic journals, by the strictest definition, they are not research articles because they do not offer an original standpoint on a topic.

Original research article

The most common article found in academic journals is the original research article. This detailed study proposes new concepts or ideas within a specific field. The article will present a hypothesis before answering it with justifiable, citable evidence, which will then be extensively peer-reviewed.

Fig 1. Original research is the most important aspect of any research article.

Methodology article

Rather than an author proposing an original idea within an existing framework, authors of methodology articles propose a new framework entirely. Articles will offer a new procedure, format or method for carrying out future research. To be considered, authors should propose a significant change to the existing methodology and will justify their ideas with evidence.

Observation reports

An observation report involves documenting the results of observational research. The primary goal of this report is to take extensive data taken over a lengthy period and transform it into an accessible summary.

Thesis

One common variant of the research article is a thesis:

PhD theses contain original work and follow a similar layout to a typical research article. The critical difference between the thesis and research article is the length; a research article is usually 4000-6000 words long, whereas a thesis is typically 80,000-100,000 words!

Research article format

Although different types of research articles can feature subtle differences in formatting, most follow a simple, linear structure. The most common research article structure is: abstract, introduction, literature review, body, and conclusion. Let's look at each section in more detail.

Abstract

Most research articles will begin with some form of abstract:

Think of the abstract as the overview that briefly informs the reader what to expect from a research article. It should show the reader why the article is important and get them interested in the ideas that will be proposed.

Introduction

A research article's introduction will summarise the author's main arguments and narrow down the scope of the investigation. It will usually conclude with the central hypothesis of the research article.

Literature review

The literature review allows the author to review existing academic work in their chosen field. They can evaluate the work of other scholars and identify the gap in knowledge that their work aims to bridge.

The literature review is one of the most critical sections of a research article because it lets the author shows how their work contributes to the broader academic landscape.

Body

The body often breaks down the main argument into multiple sub-points, with a separate paragraph/section for each. The author will present their original research and back up their statements with cited evidence. They will then relate each statement back to their main argument to prove why their hypothesis is justified.

Conclusion

The conclusion of a research article will reiterate its key points and emphasise how the original hypothesis is satisfied. Depending on the type of research article, the author may emphasise what they are proposing, why change is necessary and what needs to be done in the future.

Research article critique

Closely related to the research article is the research article critique:

The critique will summarise the key points of a research article, analyse whether it has been successful, and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. A critique writer will often systematically assess the literature to fully understand the author's intentions, taking into consideration the target audience, whether the author's argument is justified, and whether they have fully satisfied their hypothesis.

Remember that in order to be a primary source, the research presented must be original. As the critique is analysing the pre-existing content of the research analysis, this makes it an example of a secondary source.

Example of literature review in research article

The literature review is one of the most important aspects of any research article because it places the article in context. Let's look at an example of how Jonathan Coe (1961-) accomplishes this by looking at an excerpt from his thesis Satire and sympathy: some consequences of intrusive narration in Tom Jones and other comic novels (1986)¹

Coe begins by referencing an important text relevant to the subject of his research article. This contextualises his work within the existing body of literature and establishes his point of view in relation to previous arguments on his chosen subject. He then states how his interpretation will differ from previous scholars, showing the gap in research that he intends to cover and therefore proves the originality of his stance on the debate.

Here Coe elaborates on the flaws in the arguments of his predecessors. This is essential to the literature review, as it proves why the study being conducted is of vital importance to the literary landscape as a whole. Coe is also highly specific about issues he sees and introduces the key topics that he will address in the main body of his work.