PSYCHOLOGY 100

Ruth Frickle

 

ARTICLE CRITIQUE ASSIGNMENT

 30 points total.

 

Purpose:  This assignment gives you the opportunity to use critical thinking skills and knowledge of research methods by assessing how well psychology research is reported in a news article.   

 

The Assignment:   You will be given an article to read, assess and write about for this assignment.  The Summary is worth 10 points, and the Assessment is worth 14 points.  In addition, grammar, spelling and format are worth another 6 points. 

 

You may turn in the paper early for feedback.  Early means no later than two school-days before the due date so I have time to review it, and you have time to amend it.

 

 

FORMAT: 

 

• Papers must be typed and double spaced.
• Margins are to be one inch on top, both sides and bottom. 
• Each section should have a heading (e.g. “Part 1” or “Summary”)
• Your font size should be no larger than Times New Roman 12. 
• Use a cover sheet and staple your paper, but please do not use report covers or folders of any type.
• If you quote or draw information from the article or your textbook, you must cite your sources and punctuate properly.  I prefer that you use APA format (which is the style used in your text) but any format for citations and references will be fine.

 

 

Part 1:  SUMMARY

 

Summarize the article in your own words.  The summary should cover the main ideas and points made by the author of the article.  The length will vary depending on the length of the article.  It should not include too many details of research methodology or any case study information. It must include the findings of the research.

 

 

 

Part 2:  ASSESSMENT

 

a.)    Identify whether the research discussed in the article is correlational or experimental.  Explain how you came to that conclusion by discussing what the author said about the variables being studied.  Explain how that information demonstrates whether the research is correlational or experimental. Some articles do not give much detail about methods and if this is the case in your article, you should identify what information you need in order to draw a conclusion about whether the research was correlational or experimental.

 

b.)    Assess how the article presents the information about the research.  Start this section by explaining what methods researchers generally use to ensure that their research is as strong as it can be. 

After you’ve explained how research is done in general terms, then you can start to assess whether the article told you about all of those important details.  Explain what information the article included and how that information helped you understand the research.  Explain what information about the research methods was left out.  Explain how this information would be helpful in assessing the research itself. 

 

You should not be assessing the research.  It is unlikely that the article gave you enough information to do that!  You need to use your knowledge of research methods to assess the article.

TIPS:

• You’ll need to read the article at least 3 times, probably more. You’ll have to read once just for the main ideas and to begin a summary.  Another reading or two will get you the information you need for Part 2.

 

• Start now, don’t wait.  Let the ideas percolate over time. 

 

• Use a dictionary as you read and as you write.

 

• Talk with classmates who are writing on the same article.

 

• Write your own paper.  Even though others are writing about the same article, your papers should be absolutely different and uniquely your own.  This is possible even if you are drawing the same conclusions as others.  Your word choice, order of ideas and so on should be yours and yours alone. 

 

Here are the basic guidelines in a nutshell:

 

	Points possible
Summary Accurate summary, with enough information to be useful, but not overloaded with research details.  Includes conclusions of all studies.	10
Research Methods Clear, accurate identification of variables examined by researchers.  Accurate identification of type of research and/or identification of additional information needed to make an identification, justified with information from the article. Discussion should include an assessment of how well information about the research was presented, what information was included, what wasn’t and the importance of these details.	14
Format Grammar, spelling, style and formatting requirements met.	6
TOTAL POINTS	30