Article Critique Assignment
The article must be based on an EXPERIMENTAL research study. Do not use a review, meta-analysis, report, digest, or opinion or narrative article. The article must have prior approval from the instructor. The article critique assignment should be word processed in Times New Roman size 12 font. Please answer the following questions in complete sentence (except #1). You are expected to write at the graduate level. An electronic copy of the article must be uploaded as an attachment to Blackboard along with the completed assignment.
1. Make a reference entry for the article as it would appear in a reference list using APA style. (4pts)
Using the above reference and your article, answer questions #2-5.
2. Who was the author(s) of the study? Identify the institutional affiliation of the author(s). (2pts)
3. What was the title of the article? Does the title meet APA requirements? Justify your answer. (2pts)
4. Analyze the reference and identify the journal name, volume number, issue number, and pages for the article. (2pts)
5. Where did you obtain the articles (name of electronic database, website url, etc.)? (2pts)
6. Analyze the quality of the abstract using Section 2.04 in the APA Manual and provide the approximate number of words it contains. (The abstract of the study is usually the first paragraph, whether it is marked or not. Do not use the abstract given with the citation material unless it is obvious that there is not an abstract at the beginning of the study. (5pts)
Referring to the methods section of your article, answer questions #7-12.
7. What is the hypothesis or research question of the study?
(If there is not an hypothesis, it probably does not meet the requirement of being a research article.) (4pts)
8. What are the independent and dependent variables? (4pts)
9. Research Design Questions (8pts)
o Is the research study qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods? Justify your answer.
o Name the type of research design used i.e. pretest/posttest control group design, case study, ex post facto.
10. Sampling Questions (6pts)
o Identify the number of participants and give a brief description of the sample.
o How many groups were used? Did the article describe how participants were assigned to groups? If so, describe here.
o Explain the methods for sample selection and indicate the number of times data are collected.
11. Explain the instruments used to generate data (numbers, scores) including methods employed to establish reliability and validity of the instrument. (4pts)
Questions #12-14 refer to the use of APA style.
12. APA guides the writer in the format of the paper. Using your article identify and explain the basics elements of APA style. (For example: reference format and citations; header; levels of headings; order of pages; margins; alignment; spacing; typeface; use of numbers, etc.) Be very thorough. For each APA element mentioned indicate the APA Manual section and page number where the element was discussed. (10pts)
13. APA suggests sections that should be included in a research report. Review your article and identify and/or explain all parts of the study. Do not define or tell what they should contain, but rather, summarize these sections. (A summary reduces the material to a concise explanation in your own words.) (10pts)
14. Is the reference list done correctly according to APA guidelines and is there a reference for every piece of material cited in the study? Is every reference properly cited in the paper? Provide examples to justify your answer. (4pts)
Questions #15-17 refer to the overall quality of a good research paper.
15. State the limitations of the study (i.e., maturation, regression, history, subject characteristics, data collector characteristics); these should be acknowledged in the study or inferred from your knowledge about the threats to validity. (3pts)
16. Analyze the use of ethical procedures or absence thereof. (Is any mention made of informed consent or permission to conduct the study?) If not, what procedures would have been appropriate?) (5pts)
17. Analyze the qualities of the research in terms of worth. Was the topic clearly written, relevant, and a contribution to educational knowledge? (This should be an in-depth exploration of what you discovered as you read and should be between 150-200 words.) (10 pts)
For questions 18-20 select a passage written by the author(s) which is not from a secondary source. Please double space your answers in this section so the reader can review your APA formatting.
18. Quote a passage of fewer than 40 words directly from the article as though it were the first time you had cited the article. Be sure to use appropriate punctuation and reference citation format. (5 pts)
19. Paraphrase the quotation from the previous question as though you had cited it in a previous paragraph. Use the appropriate punctuation and reference citation format. (5 pts)
20. Quote a passage of 40 or more words directly from the article as if you had cited it in a previous paragraph. Be sure to use appropriate punctuation and reference citation format. (5 pts)
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