Writing Assignment: Analyzing a Research Article

The purpose of this assignment is to give you practice in "tearing apart" a research article. Most research articles contain an abstract, introduction, method section, results section, and a discussion. Your assignment is to answer the questions about each section of the article (Introduction, Method and Procedure, Results, or Discussion). Then, assess the clarity of each section by using the seven-point scale and provide suggestions that would improve each section. The goal of this assignment is to help you gain a better understanding of the readings in this packet by learning how to identify and critically think about each part of the research article.

The article that you will use for this assignment is in your reader: Levy, B. & Langer, E. (1994). Aging free from negative stereotypes: Successful memory in China and among the American Deaf. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 989-997.

This assignment is due: January 31.
 
 

INTRODUCTION

What is the problem or issue that the authors are trying to address?

Identify the general research questions or hypotheses that the authors are investigating?

What is the theoretical, conceptual, or historical background that the authors provide as their rationale for doing this study?
 
 

Evaluation: How clear was the authorsí introduction?

                                1 2 3 4 5 6 7
                    Not clear                 Extremely
                    At all                       Clear
 

What suggestions (if any) would you make to improve the clarity of the introduction?

  METHOD

       Participants

Who participated in this study and how were they obtained?

      Procedure

What did the participants do?

Dependent variables?

Independent variables (if any)?

Evaluation: How clear was the authorsí method section?
 

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Not clear                 Extremely
At all                       Clear
 

What suggestions (if any) would you make to improve the clarity of the method section?
 
 

 RESULTS

Statement of the findings (in plain English).
 
 
 
 

Evaluation: How clear was the authorsí presentation of the results?
 

           1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Not clear                 Extremely
At all                       Clear
 

What suggestions (if any) would you make to improve the clarity of the results section?
 
 

 DISCUSSION

What are the authorsí suggestions for future research?
 
 

What are the alternative explanations or drawbacks of the study that they point out?
 
 

What are the implications of their research findings?
 
 

Evaluation: How clear was the authorsí presentation of the discussion section?

            1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Not clear                 Extremely
At all                       Clear
 

What suggestions (if any) would you make to improve the clarity of the discussion section?
 
 

Provide any additional comments or thoughts about this article that you would like.
 
 

 This assignment is due: January 31.

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