Article Analysis

Article Analysis Instructions

Use the scholarly databases to search for your peer-reviewed journal articles.

Research articles may be qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative articles typically include sections such as Review of the Literature, Sample Description, Data Collection Methods, Data Analysis Methods, Findings, Discussion, and a Conclusion. A quantitative research article has the following major sections: Title Page, Abstract, Introductions, Review of the Literature, Method, Results, Discussion, References, Tables and Figures. An article analysis highlights the information in the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Before you can write such a

Writing the Article Analysis

Like an abstract in a published research article, the purpose of an article summary is giving the reader a brief, structured overview of the study that was done. It is important that you understand that writing an article summary is a low-stress activity. By using these tips, the task becomes very easy. To write a good analysis, you must know (a) what is important to say and (b) how to condense important information. The better you understand a subject, the easier it is to write both knowledgeably and briefly about it (this is the rationale for essay exams).

· Paragraph One: Include an introduction to the paper by describing indicating what the research is about. Tell the reader what the focus of the research is and state the hypotheses or research questions.

· Paragraph Two: Identify the subjects and the procedures used in the study.

· Paragraph Three (and possibly Paragraph Four): Present the variables and how each was measured. Be specific. Identify the name of the measurement and a brief description of each.

· Paragraph Five: Discuss the results of the study. Did the data support the stated hypotheses? Use the results and discussion section for this.

· Paragraph Six through Eight: Critique the study. Specify what was done well and what

could have been improved. Some other questions to answer include:

· Was the research valuable?

· Was the study practical/helpful? To whom?

· Was the study done ethically?

· Should more research be done in this area?

· To whom do the results of this study affect?

· What should be the next step to be in this line of research?

· Paragraph Nine: Conclusion

· Eliminate wordiness, including most adverbs (“very”, “clearly”). Why say “The results clearly showed that there was no difference between the groups”? You lose no meaning if you just say, “There was no difference between the groups”.

· Use specific, concrete language. Use precise language and cite specific examples to support assertions. Avoid vague references, e.g., “this” (“this illustrates” should be “this result illustrates”). Sentences that start with “I feel” often signal unsupported statements.

· Use scientifically accurate language. For example, you never “prove” theories in science, you “support” or “fail to find support for” them.

· Rely primarily on paraphrasing, not direct quotes. In scientific writing, paraphrasing an author’s ideas is more common than using direct quotes. You must cite your paraphrases. In this assignment, you are only allowed 3 sentences to be quoted directly. If you use a direct quote, use quotation marks and proper citation.

· Check for spelling and typographical errors.

· Re-read what you have written. Ask other people to read it; they will catch things that you miss.

· Pay attention to presentation. It has your name on it. Your paper should look as though you are proud of it.