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Psychology 111 - Henares: Empirical and Review Articles

This library guide was created for scholars who are participating in the DFC program and enrolled in Psychology 111 with Dr. Regina Henares

Difference Between Empirical and Review Articles

The main difference between empirical and review articles is that empirical articles report on original research, while review articles summarize and analyze previously published research. 

Empirical - (Original Research)

An empirical article is a research article that reports the results of a study that uses data derived from actual observation or experimentation. Format of an empirical article:

  • Abstract - summary of the study
  • Introduction - literature review
  • Methods - methodology used
  • Results - data results/ analysis
  • Discussion - significance of study
  • References - works used/ cited

Source: American Psychological Association, 2024

Video Credit: Georgia State University LIbrary

Review

A scholarly literature review article summarizes and critically evaluates academic articles and other scholarly works on a topic. It does NOT contain original research. 

Format of article:

  • The literature review may be organized various ways. For instance, a review of the literature may trace the historical development of an issue, or group similar research studies on a particular topic, or examine major trends or advancements in an area of study. 

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