The first thing we want to do when reading an article is to do a little informal discovery. What is the title? What kind of journal is publishing this article; is there anything special about the journal? What do we know about the authors? Who are they and where are they from? Are they senior researchers or are they just starting out?

When we first start reading the literature in a specific area of psychology, we can learn a lot by paying attention to the little things. First, we want to look at the title. Is it fun/playful? Is it very formal and technical? Is there anything about the title that piques our curiosity?

Next, we look at the journal. Does the journal have a special mission that might influence how the research is presented? Is it sponsored by a psychological organization such as the American Psychological Association (APA) or the American Psychological Society? Is it a peer-reviewed journal; do all articles have to undergo a review process before they are published?