LibGuides: CRJU374: Criminal Justice Research Methods: What is an Empirical Article?

What is an Empirical Article?

Empirical Journal Article

Empirical journal articles detail the findings of a study conducted by the author or authors. The study may be based on observation or research. Empirical evidence is usually presented in a journal article using statistics, tables, charts or graphs. These types of articles are published in scholarly journals.

View These Example Empirical Articles

Fielder, R. L., Carey, K. B. & Carey, M. P. (2013). Hookah, cigarette and marijuana use: A prospective study of smoking behaviors among first-year college women. Addictive Behaviors, 38(11), 2729-2735. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.07.006
Hinsz, V. B., Stoesser, C. J., & Matz, D. C. (2013). The intermingling of social and evolutionary psychology influences on hair color preferences. Current Psychology, 32(2), 136-149. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12144-013-9169-2
Rogers, P. J., Heatherley, S. V., Mullings, E. L., & Smith, J. E. (2013). Faster but not smarter: Effects of caffeine and caffeine withdrawal on alertness and performance. Psychopharmacology, 226(2), 229-240. doi:10.1007/s00213-012-2889-4
Strayer, D. L., Findlay, S. E., G., Miller, D., Malcom, H. M., Fischer, D. T., & Coote, T. (2012). Biodiversity in hudson river shore zones: Influence of shoreline type and physical structure. Aquatic Sciences, 74(3), 597-610. doi:http://dx.doi.org

Definition of Empirical

The Oxford English Dictionary defines empirical as "pursues knowledge by direct observation, investigation, or experiment (as distinct from deductive reasoning, abstract theorizing, or speculation); that relates to or derives from this method of pursuing knowledge"

Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window

Headings in an Empirical Article

Empricial articles are typically divided by headings into different sections. Here are some example headings used in these sections which will help you identify an empirical article.