There are two main types of articles you'll come across in these databases and here's how to recognize the difference between the two:
Scholarly research article (sometimes called a primary source, a research article, or an empirical research article)
This reports on original research, meaning the researchers conducted their own research, gathered and analyzed data, and reported on the findings. These articles are recognizable as they are generally organized into IMRAD:
Introduction (which includes a literature review)
Methods
Results
Analysis
Discussion
Scholarly review articles
This articles are generally reporting on what is known about a specific topic and is a survey of the primary research literature. The authors of these articles are not reporting on their own data or results but rather summarizing others work to develop a broad perspective on the topic. Does not adhere to the IMRAD format.
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