How to Evaluation Research Articles

Progression of Weekly Assignments

For each study:For each study:• (Introduction) - What is the hypothesis?• (Method) - How does method relates to hypothesis?• (Result) - How do the results relate to hypothesis?• (Discussion) - How do implications relate to hypothesis?

Purpose is to learn the skill of correctly identifying each essential component of a research article because each of those components form the basis for evaluating a research article

Guidelines for Weekly Evaluation

FYI: for “Discussion”, two parts:FYI: for “Discussion”, two parts:• Critically evaluate how implications relate to hypothesis?• Critically evaluate how implications/hypothesis extends

beyond the research study, such as generalizabilitiy to people, new situation, and “why should I care?”

Purpose is to learn the skill of translating research into usable form for your own lives (personally relevant) and for others outside the research community (lay person)

Guidelines for Weekly Evaluation

Guidelines for Weekly Evaluation

Same as before, but now also add:Same as before, but now also add:• Provide a short summary of each ARTICLE

– “Basic” hypothesis (main point, synthesized hypos, etc)– “Basic” method (general description)– Summarized findings (no numbers needed) – Most important implications (of basic hypothesis)

Purpose is to learn the skill of concisely summarizing an article, including how to write an annotated bibliography.

Guidelines for Weekly Evaluation

• Paragraph 1 - Provide a short summary of each ARTICLE– “Basic” hypothesis (main point, synthesized hypos, etc)– “Basic” method (general description)– Summarized findings (no numbers needed) – Most important implications (of basic hypothesis)

• Paragraph 2 – Your overall opinion of the article– Decision: Accept, Revise & Resubmit, Reject– Why?: Explain the reason(s) why you chose accept, R&R, or reject

(should be a concise summary of your criticisms from the following paragraphs)

• Paragraph 3+ – Your criticisms/opinions of the article

(Paragraph 3+)Introduction

• Prior Research• Present Research• Hypotheses

– In general– If Descriptive research– If Relational research– If Moderators– If Causal Research

(Paragraph 3+)Method

• Design• Participants• Materials• Procedures• Construct Validity• External Validity• Internal Validity

• Confounds– due to Experimenter(s)– due to Participant(s)– due to Measure(s)– due to Manipulations(s)– due to the situation

(Paragraph 3+)Results

• Central question: Is the data analysis appropriate to hypothesis and methodology?

– Evaluate the participants– Evaluate the materials– Evaluate the procedures– Analyze research hypothesis

(Paragraph 3+)Discussion

• Interpret results – are the conclusions valid and connected to

hypothesis?

• Implications – are conclusions applied beyond study to larger

context?

• Limitations – are limitations of study disclosed?

• Future Research – are studies relevant to this current article?

(Paragraph 3+)Overall

• Importance of the Research?• Writing style?• Other issues such as formating?

• Using a “Threshold” based decision making to evaluate the level of problems compared to the level of importance of the research