Research in the Sciences follows the scientific method, a systematic and empirical way of acquiring and building knowledge. The scientific method is rigorous, and involves formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis through experiments or measurable tests, and analyzing the results of the tests. The scientific method requires that the experiment can be repeated with the expectation that the same results will occur, and is subject to external evaluation.
Scientific research typically involves conducting a literature review as a preliminary phase. The literature review establishes what scholarship has already been published on the topic at hand, and how the currently conducted research builds upon and adds to the existing scholarly conversation.
In the sciences, it is important to make new scholarship known as quickly as possible. Therefore, there are several places where scholars post abstracts, preprints (scholarly articles in line for formal publication by a journal) or conference papers online.
You can find additional links to STEM resources through these guides:
You must be on UCI campus to access these items
Many of our databases take you directly to full-text scholarly articles. However, if a full-text article is not available, you can click on the Get it at UC icon for more options on how to access the articles online.
Click on the tutorial below to learn more about how to identify sections of a scholarly article in the social sciences or sciences.
