Topics - Reading a Research Article

1. Topics - Reading a Research Article • Brief Overview: Purpose and Process of Empirical Research • Standard Format of Research Articles • Evaluating/Critiquing Research

2. Role and Purpose of Empirical Research • To provide answers to questions about behavior by using the scientific method. • Descriptive (to “describe’) • Correlational (to “predict”) • Causal-(to “control, explain causation”) • Experimental • Comparative

3. Process of Empirical Research • Identify and define research problem and questions. • Formulate hypotheses on basis of theory, prior research and/or hunches. • Design research study to collect data bearing on questions. • Conduct the research. • Analyze the data (through statistical methods). • Interpret the data in light of the research questions.

4. Standard Format of Research Articles • Abstract • Introduction: Context, Research Problem, Review of Literature • Methods • Results • Discussion • References

5. Introduction • Background - the reasons the author(s) conducted the study; theoretical framework • Statement of Purpose - the goal of the research (the destination); the problem statement • Hypotheses - “educated guesses” about relationships or differences

6. Methodology • Participants (sample) - who the subjects are, how obtained/selected • Materials (equipment, apparatus, measuring instruments) - what was used, quality of measuring instruments • Procedures - how study was conducted; what subjects did or what was done to them

7. Results • Technical summary of the statistical analyses used: • In text • In tables • In figures

8. Discussion/Conclusions • Non-technical interpretation of results • Linking results to original purposes and hypotheses • Why the results turned out the way they did • Identifying the study’s limitations • Suggesting steps for further research

9. Evaluating Research • Goal: to be able to critique a research article by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each component of the research • “Tools for Evaluating Research Reports”

10. Evaluating Introductions: Literature Review • Literature review: to place current study in context of what is known/not known • Nature of literature cited • Researcher bias • Rationale/need for study • Theoretical framework • Link of framework to research questions • Sufficiency of information • Usefulness of review

11. Evaluating Introductions: Research Questions/Hypotheses • Research questions and hypotheses drive the study • Clarity of problem • Sufficient rationale • Contribution to existing knowledge • Link to theoretical framework and lit review • Assumptions explicit/implicit • Operational definition of terms • Statement of hypotheses

12. Evaluating Methodology • Sufficient detail of procedures (treatment), design and instruments • Full description of population • Full description of sampling method • Quality of measures used • Obvious weaknesses in design

13. Evaluating Results • Appropriateness of statistical techniques used • Clarity of presentation of results • Adequacy of presentation of results

14. Evaluating Discussion/Conclusions • Consistency of conclusions with findings • Appropriateness of generalizations • Discussion of implications of findings • Discussion of limitations of study • Alternative explanation for findings • Linkage of conclusions with theoretical framework, research questions

15. Practice Exercise -Evaluating the Introduction • Literature Review • Research problem/questions