The idea:
This class is designed to get you up to speed enough to be able to read the methods section of a scholarly
article. This assignment is to look up an article in your field, read it, and be able to understand, synthesize,
and critically assess the methods section of the paper. All parts of the paper should be a summary put in
your own words; do NOT copy sections out of the paper and re-paste them. Use quotations from the paper
sparingly, and make sure that you cite them appropriately. You are encouraged to use headings to divide
up your sections.
Step 1:
Find an article in your field. Human Communication Research, Communication Reports, Communication
Monographs, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, etc., are good titles. Anything
published by a regional or national communication organization is fair game. DOWNLOAD A .PDF OF THE
ARTICLE and turn it in with your paper. You should make sure that the methods section of your article
involves material we have covered in class, and that it is a topic that you have some interest in and can
understand. The article must have been published in 2000 or more recently. They are virtually all available
electronically via the library.
Step 2:
Figure out the research question, any hypotheses, and define any technical terms so that a lay reader
could understand. Make this the first section of your paper; it should be about a page long. If the paper hass.html)
lots of research questions and hypotheses, focus on ONE and identify that you are doing so (and not
discussing the rest). You do NOT need to list hypotheses your paper doesn’t address.
Step 3:
Explain the research design. What were the independent and dependent variables? How were they
measured? Were they categorical or continuous? Was it a survey, a content analysis, coded behavior? If it
was behavior, was the behavior naturally occurring or artificially induced? What statistic was used (make
sure you tie your discussion of the stat used to your description of the variables)? Make sure you report the
results, including the raw data, value of the test statistic, p value, and magnitude. It is really helpful if you
can summarize all the quantitative stuff in a single sentence or two in plain English, like this: “The study
found that females had lower average Communication Anxiety scores (mean = 17.2) than males did (mean
= 21.3), but there were no differences on other dependent measures.” This should be the second section of
your paper and should be 1-3 pages long. Link the results back to the hypotheses and report whether the
hypotheses were confirmed or denied.
Do NOT review the demographics of the sample unless they are related to your assessment.
Do NOT discuss any variables that are not included in the hypothesis you are assessing.
Step 4:
Assess the study, beginning with a simple statement of the author’s conclusions. Are their internal or
external validity problems? Was reliability reported? Was it sufficient? Was the sample sufficient? Is there a
way the study could have been done differently to make it more sound? Are there plausible rival
hypotheses that should have been considered? How much confidence do you have that the findings are
indicative of an actual, real relationship? Were there important variables that were left out? This should be
the third section of the paper and be 1-3 pages long. Connect your conclusions to the article’s conclusions:
Do you agree about what they decided? Make sure your assessment deals with Type 1 and Type 2 error
(don’t criticize their study for Type 2 errors if they found significance), and focus on the overall strength of
the study, not nitpicky errors.
Tips:
Do NOT just say that there “could” be a problem (i.e., “The sample was only students, and they might be
different from the overall population.”) Say whether you THINK there is a problem (and why), and include
HOW the results they got might be different from the true results in the population, and how serious an
error you think this is. CONNECT EVERY STRENGTH OR WEAKNESS TO SOME CONCLUSION: Was
sample size a problem? If so, which conclusion do you not trust? Does that introduce Type 1 or Type 2
error?
You should ALWAYS address magnitude in your assessment and conclusion.
Step 5:
State your conclusions clearly. What did the study prove? Was it a good or bad study? How much
confidence do you have in the findings? This should be the last section of your paper and no more than 1
page long.
Again, turn in the article with the paper.
The bulk of your grade will be based on how well you demonstrate a mastery of the quantitative concepts.
If you have a deep understanding of them, it will show up in the section that allows you to assess the
methods. The remainder of your grade will be based on how thoroughly you accomplish the rest of the
work of the paper. Of course, if you fail to correctly explain the theory and variables involved in the study,
you will be unable to assess the paper very well.You will make a short presentation of your findings (no more than 5 minutes) on the last week of class. The
presentation should report on the single most important facet of your paper. You do not need to describe
your entire paper in your presentation; you only have to summarize its most important point. Use visual
aids or the marker board if it will help clarify your point