The structure of a journal article is variable and completely relies on the type of journal or the subject area involved. Regardless, all journal articles possess some standard components.
Cover page
Front page of journal contain volume number, ISSN, and year of publication. Issue number is mentioned in cover page, as journals are periodically published reading materials.
Title
The entire content of the article is represented on the title page. The title of the article is one of the first indicators readers will get from their research and concepts.
Technical information
Following the title, information such as the author’s name and his/her affiliations is mentioned. These are usually mentioned at the end of the article. Volume number, issue, and data of publication are mentioned at the top of the first page.
Abstract
A brief, non-evaluative, comprehensive summary of the contents of the article is described as an abstract.
Following a very specific pattern of writing, it is advised that an improperly formatted abstract will fail to reach the audience in an effective manner.
Introduction
The goal of the introduction is to let the reader know the topic of the article and what points will be made about it.
An introduction to an article also provides justification for the proposed hypothesis.
Methods
The Methods section of the journal article consists of the research protocol. It enables the reader to evaluate the appropriateness of the methods used in the study.
Methods includes the subsections of participants, materials, and procedure.
Results
A brief statement of the main results or findings is followed by a report with sufficient detail to justify the conclusions.
It is common to find figures and tables in this section.
Discussion
Evaluates and interprets the implications of the results, especially with respect to the original hypothesis.
Includes a clear statement of the support or non-support for the original hypothesis.
Acknowledgments
The purpose of this section is to acknowledge and thank people or organizations that helped carry out the research work.
References
The most important component section of a journal article is the reference section. It provides complete details of the article, and this section helps readers find further information.
The References section follows a particular format and includes the author name, title of the paper, journal name, issue number, and page number.
The year in which the paper was published is also mentioned in each reference.
Lapiz has been working with authors and journal publishers involved in writing journal articles, abstracts, and journal digests for more than a decade.