Critique of an Article
QUESTIONS TO ASK WHILE READING A RESEARCH ARTICLE
INTRODUCTION – Why did they start?
* Why is this
research important? How well did the authors justify this in the review of
literature? Did they summarize the existing literature relevant to the issue
addressed?
* What is the
research question/s of interest (purpose/objectives) or hypothesis? Is the
phrasing comprehensive, clear, specific?
* Do the authors
use well-defined, non-ambiguous terminology (avoiding jargon)?
METHODS – What did they do?
* Did the authors
provide sufficient detail for the replication of the study?
* What’s the
study design? Are there any potential threats to the internal and external
validity of the design?
* Have the data
collection procedures and instruments described? What is the dependent variable
(DV)? Independent variables (IV)? Is the dependent variable (outcome measure)
well defined and clearly measurable? Are the IVs (exposure or condition to be
manipulated) well defined/clearly measurable?
* Who is the
sample population? Does this population place any limits on the
generalizability of the results? Was the sampling procedure/subject selection
described?
* Sample size –
How do the authors justify the number of subjects in the study? Are “drop
outs” accounted for?
* How was their
sample assessed? Was the measure validated?
* Does the study
design have any control condition to rule out chance findings? Are there
threats to the internal and/or external validity of the study?
* Is the time
frame adequate to answer the research question?
RESULTS – What did they find?
* Were the number
of subjects in each group or subgroup used in the analysis specified? Were the
subject characteristics summarized?
* Did the results
reported relate to the specified objective/hypotheses?
* Do the tables
and figures “speak for themselves?” Are they useful and clear?
* Are the tables
adequately titled, labeled, and footnoted so they can be interpreted without
reference to text?
DISCUSSION – What do the results mean?
* Did authors
discuss the results in relations to the objectives/hypotheses? Is there a clear
distinction between the results of the hypothesis being tested and other,
unexpected findings being discussed?
* Were the
results discussed in relation to those from similar studies? Discussed in
relation to the theoretical background for this field of study?
* Are the authors
justified in the strength of the statements they make in the study? Did they
offer alternative explanations for results?
* How will these
results add to this field of research? Were potential directions for future
studies mentioned?
REFERENCES – Are they comprehensive and current?
MISCELLANEOUS
Did the article:
* Define
ambiguous terms?
* Define acronyms
the first time they appeared in text?
* Provide references,
citations for statement of facts?
* Follow logical
sequencing of facts?
* Present
information clearly and concisely?
REMEMBER
A ‘critique’ does not mean a negative review. Comment on the
strengths as well as the weaknesses. In critiquing articles, you should be
critical but also creative. Think beyond what is presented and visualize what
issues are not mentioned, what unknown or unmeasured variable(s) might have
resulted in some other explanation for the outcome.
Not all of these questions apply to all of the articles, nor
are these the only questions to ask about a study. These are just some ideas to
get you started. These questions represent an approach to critically evaluating
the research literature.
