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BIO 102 Labs (Alexandria): Types of Scientific Articles

2 Main Types of Science Articles

There are many types of articles found in scientific literature, however here are two major article types:

Original Research Articles

Published in peer-reviewed journals
Report findings of scientists' experiments or studies
Analyze results and may cite related research
Look for terms like "Methods" and "Results"

Review Articles

Published in peer-reviewed journals
Summarize and synthesize current state of research in a given field
Often lack sections titled "Methods" and "Materials"

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Other Types of Science Publications

	Opinions and Editorials While they might be published in a peer-review journal, opinions and editorials are NOT peer-reviewed Express an individual author’s view on a particular issue “The NSF needs to …” “More scientists need to study XYZ …” “These scientists are right, the others are wrong …”
	Trade Publication Articles Often aimed at medical professionals (Vaccine Weekly) or particular disciplines (Chemical and Engineering News) Usually summarize research published elsewhere or report industry news
	Technical Reports or Grey Literature Published by government agencies and non-government organizations (e.g., World Health Organization, National Academy of Sciences, etc.) Often not peer-reviewed Sometimes considered “grey literature,” or materials not made available by traditional publishers
	Conference Proceedings Scientists can present findings and discuss their work at a conference before publishing a paper Some conferences publish papers (which may or may not be peer-reviewed) in a bound volume referred to as “Proceedings of X Conference”
	Dissertations and/or Theses Final product after years of research to receive a doctoral or masters degree Often very long with extensive references and appendices of data While reviewed by academics, they are not considered “peer-reviewed”
	News Published in many types of publications – newspapers, magazines, trade publications, and peer-reviewed journals Can report on findings from an original research article Not peer-reviewed