What are Empirical Articles?
An empirical article is a research article that reports the results of a study that uses quantitative or qualitative data derived from observation or experimentation. Empirical articles are found in peer-reviewed journals. Every empirical article has several different sections, which typically include:
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Methodology/Methods/Designs
- Results
- Discussion/Conclusion
- Bibliography (substantial list of references)
See an example of an empirical article here.
Empirical articles are always peer-reviewed (also known as scholarly). Peer-review is a process that many scholarly journals undertake to evaluate the quality of the material being submitted. When an article is submitted to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, several impartial reviewers (who are experts in the subject matter) ensure that the article presents properly conducted and original research or writing. They must also assure accuracy and validity.
Watch a short video tutorial and take a practice quiz here.
Empirical Articles are NOT:
The following types of articles are NOT empirical articles:
Review - an evaluative account of a recent publication or publications
Systematic Review - a literature review which is based on a specific research question, but not on original research.
Meta-analyses - statistical analysis of the results of other studies
definitions based on ODLIS
Databases to Find Empirical Articles
Databases provide access to articles and other information; sometimes the full text is available but sometimes only the abstract and citation information are available (in which case you can request the item through interlibrary loan). Databases can include access to peer-reviewed articles, magazine articles, newspaper articles, etc. Some are specialized by topic, and some are interdisciplinary. Milne Library subscribes to hundreds of databases.
PubMed is the best starting place for this assignment. Other relevant databases follow PubMed, and a short video tutorial on Academic Search Complete is also available. Many of the same strategies from the video can be applied to other databases as well!
- PubMed This link opens in a new windowPubMed is a free search engine accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics. Citations may include links to full text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.
- Gale OneFile: Health & Medicine This link opens in a new window
Find up-to-date information on a range of health care topics. Best for students, researchers, and health care professionals.
- MEDLINE with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Full-text for about 1450 publications. Coverage is from about 1800 to the present, with some full-text from about 1935 to the present.
- CINAHL Plus with Full Text This link opens in a new windowIndexing for over 750 journals in the fields of nursing and allied health sciences with coverage back to 1937. Some full text articles are included.
Video Tutorial
Academic Search Complete is a library database that covers many topics, and can be a good place to start research. The video below provides a helpful overview, and many of the tips and tricks you'll learn in this video can be applied to other databases, including those listed above!
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Full text for about 8,500 periodicals including over 7,300 peer-reviewed journals across most areas of academic study as well as indexing and abstracts for more than 12,500 magazines and journals. Coverage is from 1887 to the present.