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Emory University Emory Libraries

PSYC 200 Lab in Experimental Methods (Atlanta)

Professor Sara Botto, Spring 2024

Empirical vs. Review Articles

Know the difference between empirical and review articles.

Empirical article
An empirical (research) article reports methods and findings of an original research study conducted by the authors of the article.  

Literature Review article
A review article or "literature review" discusses past research studies on a given topic.

How to recognize empirical journal articles

Definition of an empirical study: An empirical research article reports the results of a study that uses data derived from actual observation or experimentation. Empirical research articles are examples of primary research.

Parts of a standard empirical research article: (articles will not necessary use the exact terms listed below.)

  • Abstract ... A paragraph length description of what the study includes.
  • Introduction...Includes a statement of the hypotheses for the research and a review of other research on the topic.
  • Method ...A description of how the research was conducted, such as:
    • Who are participants
    • Design of the study
    • What the participants did
    • What measures were used
  • Results...Describes the outcomes of the measures of the study.
  • Discussion...Contains the interpretations and implications of the study.
  • References...Contains citation information on the material cited in the report. (also called bibliography or works cited)

Characteristics of an Empirical Article:

  • Empirical articles will include charts, graphs, or statistical analysis.
  • Empirical research articles are usually substantial, maybe from 8-30 pages long.
  • There is always a bibliography found at the end of the article.

Type of publications that publish empirical studies:

  • Empirical research articles are published in scholarly or academic journals
  • These journals are also called “peer-reviewed,” or “refereed” publications.

Examples of such publications include:

Examples of databases that contain empirical research: (selected list only)

Source:

This page is adapted from the Sociology Research Guide: Identify Empirical Articles page at Cal State Fullerton Pollak Library.

Scholarly vs. Non-Scholarly Sources

Know the difference between scholarly and non-scholarly articles.

"Scholarly" journal = "Peer-Reviewed" journal = "Refereed" journal

When researching your topic, you may come across many different types of sources and articles. When evaluating these sources, it is important to think about: 

  • Who is the author? 
  • Who is the audience or why was this written? 
  • Where was this published? 
  • Is this relevant to your research? 
  • When was this written? Has it been updated? 
  • Are there any citations? Who do they cite?
     
Scholarly  Popular
Written by experts, like academics, scientists, scholars, etc.  Written by generalists, such as journalists, bloggers, etc. 
Written for specialists or students in the field. 

Written for the general population. 
Written with scholarly or technical language.  Easy to read, or will define any specialized terms.
Will include a full bibliography of the sources that are cited.  No formal citations, or may not have any citations. 
Published in an academic journal. Published in a newspaper, magazine, or blog. 
Are often peer-reviewed.  Are edited in-house or self-edited.                                           
 

 

Helpful Links and Guides

Here are helpful links and guides to check out for more information on scholarly sources: 

  • This database contains data on different types of serials and can be used to determine whether a periodical is peer-reviewed or not: Ulrich's Periodicals Directory 
  • The UC Berkeley Library published this useful guide on evaluating resources, including the differences between scholarly and popular sources, as well as how to find primary sources: UC Berkeley's Evaluating Resources LibGuide